Phrase, Clause and Sentence

A. Phrase

A phrase is a group of words that stands together as a single grammatical unit, typically as part of a clause or a sentence. It
cannot stand alone as it does NOT contain a subject and a verb. It does NOT give a complete idea. It usually consists of an article,
preposition or noun. A phrase acts as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb in a sentence so it can also be defined as a group of
related words which lacks a subject and a verb that acts a single part of speech in a sentence.

Examples: on the table (no subject, no verb)

finished the task (no subject)

Kristine and her friends (no verb)

B. Clause

A clause is a group of words having both subject and a verb. It can sometimes act as a sentence but is not always the case.

Two Types of Clauses

An independent clause is one that can stand alone as a sentence. It requires no extra information to understand. It has a
subject, a verb and a com-plete thought.

Examples: (in bold letters)

After I die, I will be forgotten.

I love my country, so I will make sure to protect its sovereignty.

When we pay our taxes diligently, it shows that we love our country.

Meanwhile, a dependent clause is one that cannot stand alone as a sentence. It is called dependent clause because it needs to
be attached or joined to an independent clause. It is a supporting part of a sentence. Dependent clauses begin with
subordinating conjunction such as before, if, when, after, so, hence, therefore, since, because, so that, etc.

The boldfaced clauses have a subject and a verb but the idea or thought is incomplete.

After I did my best to study, I received high marks.

Because I woke up late, I was not able to pass my projects on time.

Before you leave the classroom, make sure to turn off all the lights.

C. Sentence

A sentence is a set of words that contains a SUBJECT (what the subject is about or the topic of the sentence) and a PREDICATE
(what is said about the subject). As such, a sentence contains a subject and a predicate. It expresses a complete thought and
begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop-a period, a question mark or an exclamation point.

Examples:

Everyone needs food.

Are you okay?

Look out!

I like you.

I study hard.

When the teacher makes the subject fun, we learn a lot.

As a boy scout, you should know how to pitch your tent.

She failed to read the directions that is why she got lost.
I was very tired so I decided to stay at home.

Phrase vs. Clause vs. Sentence

PHRASE CLAUSE SENTENCE

group of words group of words group of words
incomplete thought or idea almost complete thought or idea complete thought or idea
no subject and verb has subject and verb has subject and verb
part of a sentence part of a sentence phrase + clause = sentence

Learning Task 1: Identify what is being asked in each statement. Choose the letter of
the best answer.
1. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, a question mark or an exclamation point.
A. clause B. phrase C. sentence D. subject
2. Which among the following is an example of a phrase?
A. almost over you C. When you lied
B. I care for you. D. You are my sunshine.
3. A group of words that contains subject and verb is called
A. noun B. phrase C. sentence D. clause
4. It usually consists of articles, prepositions, or noun.
A. clause B. verb C. phrase D. sentence
5. Which among the following is an example of a clause?
A. Joan loves to sing and dance. C. because I value you so much
B. Inside the big room of my brother D. I will always be your friend
6. Group of words that has a subject and verb but the thought or idea is not complete.
A. subject B. clause C. phrase D. sentence
7. I came here. This word group is an example of________.
A. clause B. Phrase C. noun D. sentence
8. It is composed of one or more than one clause.
A. verb B. clause C. phrase D. sentence
9. In the sentence, “ Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.” what is the independent clause?
A. because He lives, I can C. because He lives
B. I can face. D. I can face tomorrow.
10. What word group contains a subject and predicate and expresses a complete thought.
A. sentence B. clause C. noun D. phrase

Learning Task 2 : Copy the sentences and underline each dependent clause.
1. I will visit my grandmother when I have a vacation.
2. When I finish senior high school, I will find a job.
3. When I received the result, I fainted.
4. I will ask for your help if the problem continues.
5. She studies hard so that she will have an award.
6. I went home after I cleaned our classroom.
7. My dog follows me wherever I go.
8. Before mother gets angry, you should clean your bedroom.
9. We didn’t go to his birthday party because it was raining hard.
10. I went to the mall, however I didn’t buy anything.

Learning Task 5:, write CS if the sentence is complete and write IS if the sentence is incomplete.
1. because it is already damaged
2. They had a wonderful time during their vacation in Baguio City.
3. into the woods
4. She speaks fluently.
5. The beautiful and wide room of my dearest cousin
6. Many Filipinos love watching Korean dramas.
7. I have lived in Dasmariñas City for five years.
8. to my great surprise
9. Many students are fond of using gadgets.
10. I adore you.
DIRECT AND REPORTED SPEECH

In direct speech, the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in his own actual words without any change. It is also
known as quoted speech. The exact message of the speaker is enclosed by quotation marks “….”

Examples: The boy said, “I ate pancakes.”

The mother ordered, “Clean the house.”

“Is everything clear?” asked John.

A direct speech commonly has a reporting clause, reporting verb, reported clause and reported verb.

Examples: Reporting clause - The boy said, “I ate pancakes.”

Reporting verb - The boy said, “I ate pancakes.”

Reported clause - The boy said, “I ate pancakes.”

Reported verb - The boy said, “I ate pancakes.”

Reported speech is also known as indirect speech. It is a report on what someone else said or wrote without using that person's
exact words. Unlike direct speech, it doesn’t have quotation marks.

Examples: The boy said that he had eaten pancakes.

The mother ordered to clean the house.

John asked if everything was clear.

Basic Rules in Changing Direct Speech (DS) to Reported Speech (RS)

1. Changes in Person of Pronouns

 1st person pronouns in reported clause are always changed according to the subject of the reporting clause.

Examples: DS: Anna said, “I am happy.”

RS: Anna said that she was happy.

 2nd person pronouns in reported clause are always changed according to the object of the reporting clause.

Examples: DS: Joy said to Paul, “You passed the exam.”

RS: Joy told Paul that he had passed the exam.

 3rd Person pronouns in reported clause are not changed.

Examples: DS: Joana said, “She looks sad.”

RS: Joana said she looked sad.

2. Changes in Verbs

 If the reporting clause is in present tense or future tense, then no change is required to be made in the verb of reported
clause. This verb could be in any tense.

Example: DS: He says, “I am going to the library.”

RS: He says that he is going to the library.

 If the reporting verb is in past tense, then the reported verb will be changed depending on its tense.
Changes in Tense of the Verb
 Direct Speech Reported/Indirect Speech

Present Simple Past Simple

 The man said, “I join the club.”  The man said that he joined the club.

Present Progressive Past Progressive

 She said, “The cat is sleeping.”  She said that the cat was sleeping.”

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Perfect Past Perfect
 They said, “We have prepared snacks.”  They said that they had prepared snacks.
Past Simple Past Perfect
 My friend announced, “The meeting started.”  My friend announced that the meeting had
started.
Past Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
 Shane said, “The children were laughing at my cleverness.”  Shane said that the children had been laughing
at her cleverness.
Past Perfect Past Perfect
 The boy said, “I had studied abroad.”  The boy said that he had studied abroad.

Change in Modal Verbs

will/shall would/should
 Bryan said, “I will try to finish my report.”  Bryan said that he would try to finish his
report.
can could
 My father said to me, “I can pick you up.”  My father told me he could pick me up.

may might
 Troy said, “I may invite them to the party.”  Troy said that he might invite them to the
party.
must must/had to
 Jane said, “I must stop smoking.”  Jane said that she must/had to stop smoking.

3. Other significant word changes

Direct Reported

now yesterday then the day before

here tonight there that night

today this that day that

tomorrow these the next day those

4. Conversion of Interrogative and Imperative Direct Speech

 The reporting verb said or said to is changed to asked, demanded or inquired.

 For yes/no questions, if or whether is used in place of that.

DS: Joseph said to Jana, “Will you attend the flag ceremony?”

RS: Joseph asked Jana if she would attend the flag ceremony.

 For WH questions, neither if is used nor any other word is added.

DS: My little brother said to the waitress, “What are you doing?”

RS: My little brother asked the waitress what she was doing.

 For imperative (command), the reporting verb said or said to is changed to ordered or commanded.
 DS: The librarian said to me, “Keep quiet.”

RS: The librarian ordered me to keep quiet.

 For imperative (request), the reporting verb said or said to is changed to requested.

DS: He told me, “Please call me.”

RS: He requested me to call him.

* Note: The use of the word “that” is optional in reported speech. Both of the following sentences are correct:

The student said that he had gained weight.

Learning Task 1 : Directions: Change the direct speech to a reported speech. Write the letter of your answer on the space
provided.

_____1. “I’m a nurse,” she said.

A. She said that she was a nurse. C. She said that you were a nurse

B. She said that he was a nurse. D. She said that they were nurses

____ 2. “I’m not going,” he said.

A. He said that she was going. C. He said that they weren’t going.

B. He said that he wasn’t going. D. He said that you were going.

B. Change the reported speech to its direct speech. Write your answer on the space provided.

_____3.She said that she had read it.

A. “I have read it,” she said. C. “I do read it,” she said.

B. “I had read it,” she said. D. “I read it,” she said.

_____4. He said that he had bought a car.

A. “I bought a car,” he said. C. “I bring a car,” he said.

B. “I buy a car,” he said. D. “I brought a car,” he said.

_____5. She said that she liked ice cream.

A. “I like ice cream,” she said. C. “I take an ice cream,” she said.

B. “I liked ice cream,” she said. D. “I took an ice cream,” she said.

Learning Task 2: Tell whether each of the following statements is a direct or reported speech.

1. Rey writes, “To see is to believe.”

2. Bonnie said, “I am one in a million.”

3. Jonathan said that he joined the Tiktok Dance Challenge.

4. He announced that he would marry next month.

5. They wrote that they found a new treasure.

6. Carla says, “I am a woman.”

7. Trisha said to me, “Did you get home safely?”

8. David said that he is going to Cavite today.

9. James said, “I bought my own car.”

10. Trisha asked me if I had gotten home safely.

SIMPLE PAST AND PAST PERFECT TENSES

Simple past tense of the verb is used to express an action that happened and ended in the past. For regular verbs, past tense
verbs end with –d or –ed while irregular verbs form their past usually by either changing or retaining their spelling. Commonly,
simple past is signaled by time indicators in the past, e.g. last week, yesterday, a year ago, etc.

Examples: Victoria and Hilario visited their grandparents yesterday.

Adoracion and Mauro bought grocery items.

Past perfect tense narrates past actions and events. A sentence that uses past perfect tense provides two actions in the past
wherein the first past action or condition is completed ahead of another past action. It is usually formed using the following
structures:

Ordinary Form : had + past participle of the verb

Continuous Form : had been + verb –ing

Examples: Mercy had eaten her breakfast before Juanito asked her to do so.

past perfect tense simple past tense

In the given example, both actions happened in the past. However, one action took place first before another one
happened. In this context, the past perfect tense portrays an earlier action before another action happened as por-trayed by the
simple past tense.

There are time expressions used in indicating past perfect tense. After, as soon as, the moment that and until are used before
the past perfect tense while before, when and by the time are used before the simple past.

Examples: When Flor called him, Nestor had been planting the seeds.

simple past past perfect continuous

Delia had prayed the rosary by the time Ben arrived.

Rey had finished the movie before Susan told him to sleep.

After Estela had finished the dress, Francis sold the item.

The moment that Macky had left his house, Mia prayed for his safety.

As soon as Gina and Dodong had received their license, they started driving their own car.

Learning Task 1 : Choose the correct past perfect tense of the verb in each sentence.

1. The witness (had testify, had testifying, had testified) before the court adjourned.

2. I went to school after I (had recovered, have recovered, has recovered) from my sickness.

3. He (has read, had read, had reading) the novel before he saw the movie.

4. By the time I arrived home, he (had went, had go, had gone) to bed.

5. I asked him to pay my watch since he (had lost, had lose, had loosing) it.

Learning Task 2 : Give the past perfect tense form of the verbs in the parentheses. Write answers in your notebook.

(read) 1.After I ________ Helen Keller’s Story of My Life I prepared a report on it.

(write) 2.Jose Rizal ______ Noli Me Tangere before he worked on El Filibuterimo.

(leave) 3.Before you arrived, the participants ________ the library.

(go) 4.By the time the principal announced the meeting, some of the teachers ________ home.

(give) 5.When I asked for the receipt, she ________ it to the wrong person.