★ Section 3: Phrases/Clauses

Phrases – groups of words that function as a part of speech.

Noun Phrase: A group of words consisting of nouns or pronouns and their modifiers that function as a noun Example: One of the plants that is beneficial to have at home is the golden pothos. Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb. Example: If you have a golden pothos, it could help purify the air of carbon dioxide, benzene, and formaldehyde. Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an adjective or an adverb. Example: Golden pothos require indirect sunlight, so do not place Golden pothos directly under the sun. Appositive Phrase: A group of words that include all the words that modify an appositive and function as an adjective - IT MUST BE SURROUNDED BY COMMAS. Example: Ester, a tricolor golden pothos, measures 1,000 feet in length, which makes it the longest golden pothos in the world. Verbal Phrases: A group of words that begin with a verbal and ends with a noun. ● Gerund Phrase verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun. ○ Ex. Watering Golden pothos is a meticulous task; Golden pothos must be watered exactly one to two weeks after the last time they were watered to prevent the leaves from drooping. ● Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective ○ Ex. It is easy to revive neglected Golden pothos. ● Infinitive Phrase verb preceded by the word “to” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. ○ Ex. Golden pothos are easy to take care of; thus, the Golden pothos is a beginner-friendly plant.

Clauses – groups of words with BOTH a subject and a verb that function as parts of speech. There are TWO kinds: Independent and Dependent (called “Subordinate”)

● INDEPENDENT – CAN stand alone as a complete sentence, known as a simple sentence pattern.

Ex. Golden pothos are native to Moorea in the Society Islands of French

Polynesia. ● DEPENDENT (SUBORDINATE) – CANNOT stand alone as a complete

Sentence and MUST begin with a SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION. There are seven (7) kinds: - Noun Clause: Used as the noun in a sentence and may function as a subject, a predicate noun, a direct object, an object of a preposition, an indirect object, or an appositive. Ex. My grandma regularly checks that her golden pothos are growing. - Adjective Clause: Used to modify a noun in an independent clause. Some adjective clauses begin with an introductory word: Ex. For those of you on a tight budget, but who want to have a house full of plants, the golden pothos is the plant that you may want to buy since it is fairly simple to propagate. Some adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: Ex. Pet owners are the people who should not keep golden pothos because they are poisonous to cats and dogs. - Adverb Clause: Used to modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in an independent clause, introduced by a subordinate conjunction and used to indicate time, place, cause, purpose, result, condition, and/or concession. Modifying verbs ex. When golden pothos are propagated, a new plant will grow after two to three months. Modifying adjectives ex. For those with little to no patience, propagating golden pothos may not be as convenient as simply buying other plants. Modifying adverbs ex. After the death of her golden pothos, my grandma tried harder than she typically did in order to keep her new pothos alive.

Clauses – groups of words with BOTH a subject and a verb that function as parts of speech. There are TWO kinds: Independent and Dependent (called “Subordinate”)

● Relative Clauses: Dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun.

Ex. The golden pothos that is the longest has been alive since 1960. ● Elliptical Clauses: Adverb clauses in which part of the clause is omitted.

Ex. When healthy, the golden pothos has glossy, green, and perky leaves. ● Essential Clauses: Clauses necessary to the meaning of the sentence.

Ex. Wilting or yellow-brownish leaves are signs that a golden pothos is unhealthy. ● Nonessential Clauses: Clauses that are NOT necessary to the meaning of the sentence.

Ex. My grandma, who is 78 years old, loves golden pothos.