English - All Lessons

• Phrase


  • Either only a noun or only a predicate
  • Incomplete idea
• Noun Phrase


  • Built upon a noun
  • Functions as the headword of the phrase
  • May function as a subject, object or complement
  • Features a noun, pronoun, and other modifiers
• Verb Phrase


  • Shows time
  • Expresses action
  • Helping verb + action verb = verb phrase
• Prepositional Phrase


  • Consists of a preposition, its object, and any words modifying the object
  • Usually tells when or where
• Sentence


  • A group of words that express a complete thought
  • Contains a subject and a predicate
  • Begins with a capital letter
  • Ends with a period
• Types of sentences according to structure


  • Simple
  • Compound
  • Complex
  • Compound-Complex
• Simple sentence


  Consists of one independent clause
• Compound sentence


  • Contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction
  • Coordinating conjunctions: FANBOYS; For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
• Complex sentence


  Contains both an independent clause and a dependent clause connected by a subordinating conjunction
• Compound-Complex sentence


  Consists of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clause
• Types of sentences according to function

  • Declarative
  • Interrogative
  • Imperative
  • Exclamatory
• Declarative sentence


  • A statement that gives us information
  • Ends with a period
• Interrogative sentence


  • Asks a question
  • Ends with a question mark
• Imperative sentence


  • Commands
  • Ends with a period
• Exclamatory sentence


  • Expresses a strong feeling
  • Ends with an exclamation point
• Clause


  Unlike a phrase, a group of related words that has both a subject and a predicate
• Types of clauses

  • Main clauses
  • Subordinate clauses
• Main clause (independent clause)

  It must contain a subject and a verb and can stand by itself as a complete sentence
• Subordinate clause (dependent clause)


  It has a subject and a verb but is only a part of a sentence, introduced by a subordinating conjunction
• Types of Subordinate Clause

  • Noun Clause
  • Relative or Adjective Clause
  • Adverb Clause
• Noun Clause


  Acts as a subject, direct object, indirect object, or predicate nominative
• Relative or Adjective Clause

  Has who, which, whose, whom, that, that which
• Adverb Clause


  Used as an adverb to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb
• What Is a Clause?

  A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb. 
•  An Independent Clause

  An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence.
• Dependent clauses cannot stand on their own; they must be attached to independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions such as "because," "if," "that," "which," etc.
• A Dependent Clause

  A dependent clause functions like an adjective, an adverb, or a noun. This means there are three types of dependent clause.
• A clause is different to a phrase because a phrase does not contain a subject and a verb. 
• What Is an Adjective Phrase?

  An adjective phrase is a group of words headed by an adjective that describes a noun or a pronoun.