A Phrase Has No Subject and Verb; a Clause Does
A phrase is a group of words functioning together. The difference from a clause is whether it contains a subject and verb.
A phrase is a group of words working as a unit. Grammar separates it from a *clause* by one test: a clause contains a subject and a finite verb, a phrase does not. *In the morning* is a phrase; *when morning came* is a clause. The Greek root means a way of speaking, and *paraphrase* means speaking alongside.
- A group of words. *A noun phrase.*
- A characteristic expression. *A well-turned phrase.*
- A musical unit. *A four-bar phrase.*
- To express. *Phrase it carefully.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | phrase | A stock phrase. |
| Plural | phrases | Set phrases. |
| Verb | phrase | Phrase the question. |
| Noun | phrasing | Careful phrasing. |
| Related | paraphrase | A loose paraphrase. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A phrase has no finite verb.A clause does.
- Phrasing shapes a melody.Music.
- To coin a phrase.Often used ironically of a cliché.
Kinds of phrase
- Noun phrase — a noun and its modifiers
- Verb phrase — a verb and its auxiliaries
- Prepositional phrase — a preposition and its object
- Adjective phrase — an adjective with modifiers
- Set phrase — a fixed expression whose wording resists change
From Latin *phrasis*, from Greek *phrasis*, a way of speaking, from *phrazein*, to tell or declare.
Phrase or clause?
A clause has a subject and a finite verb. A phrase does not, however long it is.
What is a set phrase?
A fixed expression whose wording cannot be changed without sounding wrong, such as *by and large* or *of course*.