Chapter 6- Clauses and Phrases

Topic 1- Independent and Dependent Clauses

Independent and Dependent Clauses

Clauses are parts of a sentence. Some clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence, and some can’t. Let’s learn about independent and dependent clauses!

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1. Independent Clause

• An independent clause is a complete sentence on its own. It can stand by itself because it expresses a complete thought. It has a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a predicate (what the subject is doing).
• Examples:
  • I like ice cream. (This is a complete thought. It can stand alone.)
  • She is reading a book. (This is a complete sentence. It makes sense on its own.)

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2. Dependent Clause

• A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It depends on another part of the sentence to make sense. It has a subject and a verb, but it doesn’t express a complete thought. It often starts with words like because, if, when, although, or unless.
• Examples:
  • Because I was tired (This is not a complete sentence. We don’t know what happened because the thought is not finished.)
  • If you study hard (This is not a complete sentence. We don’t know what happens if you study hard.)

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How Can We Use Them Together?

An independent clause and a dependent clause can be joined together to make a longer sentence. The dependent clause gives more information to the independent clause.

• Examples:
  • I like ice cream because it’s sweet. (Independent clause: I like ice cream. Dependent clause: because it’s sweet)
  • She is reading a book when the sun is shining. (Independent clause: She is reading a book. Dependent clause: when the sun is shining)

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Quick Review

• Independent Clause: A complete sentence that can stand alone.
  • *Example: I am hungry.
• Dependent Clause: A part of a sentence that needs an independent clause to make sense.
  • *Example: Because I didn’t eat breakfast.
• You can put an independent clause and a dependent clause together to make a longer sentence.
  • *Example: I am hungry because I didn’t eat breakfast.

Topic 2- Noun, Adjective, and Adverb Clauses

Noun, Adjective, and Adverb Clauses

Clauses can do different jobs in a sentence, just like words do. Some clauses act like nouns, some act like adjectives, and some act like adverbs. Let’s learn about noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses in simple words!

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1. Noun Clause

A noun clause is a group of words that acts like a noun in a sentence. It can be the subject (who or what the sentence is about), the object (who or what the action is happening to), or the complement (more information about the subject or object).

• Example 1 (Subject):
  • What she said made me happy.
    • The noun clause “What she said” is the subject of the sentence (it’s what made you happy).
• Example 2 (Object):
  • I don’t know what to do.
    • The noun clause “what to do” is the object of “don’t know” (it’s what you don’t know).
• Example 3 (Complement):
  • The problem is that we are late.
    • The noun clause “that we are late” is a complement, giving more information about “the problem.”

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2. Adjective Clause

An adjective clause is a group of words that describes or gives more information about a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea). It works like an adjective in a sentence.

• Example 1:
  • The dog that is barking is mine.
    • The adjective clause “that is barking” describes the noun “dog”.
• Example 2:
  • I have a friend who loves to dance.
    • The adjective clause “who loves to dance” describes the noun “friend”.
• Key Words: Adjective clauses often start with words like who, which, that, whose, and where.

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3. Adverb Clause

An adverb clause is a group of words that acts like an adverb, describing how, when, where, why, or to what degree something happens. It gives more information about a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

• Example 1 (When):
  • I will go home when school is over.
    • The adverb clause “when school is over” tells us when the action will happen.
• Example 2 (How):
  • She sings as if she were a bird.
    • The adverb clause “as if she were a bird” tells us how she sings.
• Example 3 (Why):
  • I went to bed early because I was tired.
    • The adverb clause “because I was tired” tells us why I went to bed early.
• Key Words: Adverb clauses often start with words like when, where, why, because, if, although, and as.

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Quick Review

• Noun Clause: A group of words that acts like a noun.
  • Example: What you said made me happy. (The noun clause “What you said” is what made me happy.)
• Adjective Clause: A group of words that describes a noun.
  • Example: I have a dog that is brown. (The adjective clause “that is brown” describes the noun “dog.”)
• Adverb Clause: A group of words that acts like an adverb and tells us how, when, where, or why something happens.
  • Example: She runs faster than I do. (The adverb clause “faster than I do” tells us how she runs.)

Topic 3- Phrases

Phrases: Noun Phrase, Verb Phrase, Prepositional Phrase, and More

A phrase is a group of words that work together to give more meaning, but a phrase does not have a subject and a verb (so it can’t stand alone like a sentence). Let’s learn about different types of phrases and what they do in simple words!

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1. Noun Phrase

A noun phrase is a group of words that act like a noun. It usually has a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea) and can also include words that describe the noun.

• Example 1:
  • The big blue ball is mine.
    • The noun phrase is “The big blue ball” (this is what the sentence is talking about).
• Example 2:
  • I like the red apples.
    • The noun phrase is “the red apples” (this is the thing I like).
• What’s in a Noun Phrase?
  A noun phrase can have:
  • A main noun (ball, apples)
  • Descriptive adjectives (big, blue, red)

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2. Verb Phrase

A verb phrase is a group of words that act like a verb. It has a main verb and may also include helping verbs (like is, are, will, have, etc.).

• Example 1:
  • She is running fast.
    • The verb phrase is “is running fast” (this tells us what she is doing).
• Example 2:
  • They have eaten all the cookies.
    • The verb phrase is “have eaten” (it tells what they did).
• What’s in a Verb Phrase?
  A verb phrase can have:
  • A main verb (run, eat)
  • Helping verbs (is, have, will)

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3. Prepositional Phrase

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that starts with a preposition (like in, on, at, under, etc.) and usually ends with a noun or pronoun (which is called the object of the preposition).

• Example 1:
  • The book is on the table.
    • The prepositional phrase is “on the table” (it tells us where the book is).
• Example 2:
  • She sat under the tree.
    • The prepositional phrase is “under the tree” (it tells us where she sat).
• What’s in a Prepositional Phrase?
  A prepositional phrase has:
  • A preposition (on, in, under)
  • A noun or pronoun (table, tree)

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4. Adjective Phrase

An adjective phrase is a group of words that describes a noun. It acts like an adjective in the sentence.

• Example 1:
  • She wore a dress with red flowers.
    • The adjective phrase is “with red flowers” (it describes the noun “dress”).
• Example 2:
  • The dog is so friendly and playful.
    • The adjective phrase is “so friendly and playful” (it describes the noun “dog”).

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5. Adverb Phrase

An adverb phrase is a group of words that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It acts like an adverb in the sentence and tells us how, when, where, or to what degree something happens.

• Example 1:
  • He runs very quickly.
    • The adverb phrase is “very quickly” (it tells us how he runs).
• Example 2:
  • I will finish the work in an hour.
    • The adverb phrase is “in an hour” (it tells us when I will finish).

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Quick Review

• Noun Phrase: A group of words that act like a noun.
  • Example: The big red car is mine. (The noun phrase “The big red car” is the thing we’re talking about.)
• Verb Phrase: A group of words that act like a verb.
  • Example: I am eating lunch. (The verb phrase “am eating” tells us what action is happening.)
• Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that starts with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun.
  • Example: I sat on the chair. (The prepositional phrase “on the chair” tells us where I sat.)
• Adjective Phrase: A group of words that describes a noun.
  • Example: She wore a dress with flowers on it. (The adjective phrase “with flowers on it” describes the dress.)
• Adverb Phrase: A group of words that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
  • Example: He sings really loudly. (The adverb phrase “really loudly” tells us how he sings.)

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