Sentence Parts and Parts of Speech Part 1: What are Words, Phrases, and Clauses?

Understanding English grammar terminology can help you to understand what the separate parts of a sentence are, how those parts function together, how they are constructed and strung together, and how the overall structure impacts the meaning of the sentence. Furthermore, understanding grammar lingo will give serious writers a stronger comprehension of writing advice that uses such language (including my recent creative writing advice on playing with sentence subjects). 

This blog post comprises Part 1 of a multi-part series on sentence parts and parts of speech. I hope you’ll check out the other parts of this series, which will be published soon! 

*Please note: grammarians, linguists, English instructors, and others who write about grammar do not always use the same language to describe the same topics. Because of this, language use regarding grammar can be confusing and conflicting. This guide attempts to use the terminology that is the most widespread. 

Sentence parts 

Sentences contain various parts, and those parts are classified into various categories. One of these categories focuses on how words are strung together to form word groups. Groups of two or more words are called “phrases” and “clauses.” Understanding the differences between words, phrases, and clauses will provide a foundational knowledge for understanding sentence construction. 

Words, phrases, and clauses

Sentences are often broken down into three distinct categories: words, phrases, and clauses. Phrases and clauses comprise groups of words that function together as single elements of meaning. Read about the definitions of words, phrases, and clauses below: 

Word definition | A word is a group of letters representing a single element of meaning. In writing, words are separated by spaces. 

Examples of words:

• car
• drive
• slowly
• sleek

Phrase definition | A phrase is a group of two or more words that function together as a single unit of speech. Unlike a clause, a phrase does not contain both a subject and a predicate (see more on this below).

Examples of phrases: 

• Sam’s sleek, blue car ←This phrase describes Sam’s car
• drives slowly and quietly ←This phrase describes how Sam’s car drives
• through the streets of downtown ←This phrase describes where Sam’s car drives

Clause definition | A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject (who or what the clause is about) and a predicate (what that subject is doing or being). This is what sets a clause apart from a phrase: it contains a subject and a predicate. 

Examples of subjects and predicates (the subjects are bolded while the predicates are italicized):

• Sam’s car is blue.
• Sam’s sleek, blue car drives slowly through the streets of downtown. 
• Sam’s car is blue, but his wife’s car is red.
• Although Sam wants an electric car, he owns a fuel-powered vehicle.
• Sam drives through the downtown district while the streets of downtown are bustling with patrons.

There are two types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses: 

Independent clause definition | An independent clause makes sense on its own and thus functions as a complete sentence. Independent clauses are also referred to as “main clauses,” as they contain the main subject that a sentence is about. A sentence can be made up of more than one independent clause (these are called “compound sentences”).

Examples of independent clauses (the independent clauses are bolded): 

• Sam’s car is blue.
• Sam’s sleek, blue car drives slowly through the streets of downtown. 
• Sam’s car is blue, but his wife’s car is red.

Dependent clause definition | A dependent clause does not make sense on its own and cannot function as a complete sentence, which means it must be attached to an independent clause to make complete sense. 

Examples of dependent clauses (the dependent clauses are italicized): 

• Although Sam wants an electric car
• While the streets of downtown are bustling with patrons 

Notice that the above dependent clauses do not make sense on their own. These dependent clauses can be attached to independent clauses to complete their meaning: 

• Although Sam wants an electric car, he owns a fuel-powered vehicle.
• Sam drives through the downtown district while the streets of downtown are bustling with patrons.

Restrictive versus nonrestrictive elements

If you’ve previously heard or read about words, phrases, and clauses, you might have come across the terms “restrictive” and “nonrestrictive.” These terms are used to describe which elements (i.e., words, phrases, and clauses) are essential to the sentence (i.e., restrictive) and nonessential to the sentence (i.e., nonrestrictive). Understanding which elements of your sentence are restrictive and nonrestrictive can help you gain a deeper understanding of sentence construction and can even help with understanding where and how to punctuate your sentence. 

Restrictive word definition | A restrictive word is a single-worded element that contains vital information that is necessary to the sentence’s meaning.  If this information is deleted from the sentence, the sentence will have a different meaning or no longer make sense. 

Examples of restrictive words: 

• Tomorrow, Sam will drive to the store. ←The word “‘tomorrow” is restrictive because it provides vital information about when Sam will drive to the store. 
• Sam’s favorite car in the lot is the blue car. ← The word “blue” is restrictive because it provides vital information about which car Sam favors; we could not delete this word. 

Nonrestrictive word definition | A nonrestrictive word is a single-worded element that contains supplemental information about the sentence. If this information is deleted from the sentence, the sentence will still have the same basic meaning. 

• Sam’s wife, Susan, likes to drive his car. ←The word “Susan” is supplemental and thus nonrestrictive; it can be deleted from the sentence without changing the sentence’s basic meaning. 
• Sam’s car has broken down, unfortunately. ←The word “unfortunately” is supplemental and thus nonrestrictive; it can also be deleted from the sentence without changing the sentence’s basic meaning. 

Restrictive phrase definition | A restrictive phrase is a phrase that contains vital information that is necessary to the sentence’s meaning.  If this information is deleted from the sentence, the sentence will have a different meaning or no longer make sense. 

Examples of restrictive phrases:

• In the morning, Sam wears sunglasses. ← The phrase “in the morning” is restrictive, as it provides vital information about when Sam wears sunglasses. Without this phrase, the sentence would imply Sam is wearing sunglasses in the present moment. 
• Sam stores his car in the garage. ←The phrase “in the garage” is restrictive, as it provides vital information about where Sam stores his car. 

Nonrestrictive phrase definition | A nonrestrictive phrase is a phrase that contains supplemental information about the sentence. If this information is deleted from the sentence, the sentence will still have the same basic meaning. 

Examples of nonrestrictive phrases:

• Sam, a racecar driver, enjoys coffee. ←The phrase “a racecar driver” provides supplemental information and thus is nonrestrictive. 
• Sam drinks coffee in his car, often using an insulated mug. ←The phrase “often using an insulated mug” is supplemental and can be deleted from the main clause without altering its meaning. 

Restrictive clause definition | A restrictive clause is a clause that contains vital information that is necessary to the sentence’s meaning.  If this information is deleted from the sentence, the sentence will have a different meaning or no longer make sense. 

Restrictive clause examples: 

• I saw the girl who wears red glasses looking through Sam’s car. ←The clause “who wears red glasses” is restrictive, as it provides vital information about which girl was looking through Sam’s car
• The parking lot where Sam crashed his car is dangerous. ←The clause “where Sam crashed his car” is restrictive, as it provides vital information about the parking lot being referred to.

Nonrestrictive clause definition | A nonrestrictive clause is a clause that contains supplemental information about the sentence. If this information is deleted from the sentence, the sentence will still have the same basic meaning.

Nonrestrictive clause examples: 

• Sam’s tires, which are two years old, have lost tread. ← The clause “which are two years old” is nonrestrictive, as it provides supplemental information that can be deleted from the sentence without changing the meaning of the main clause. 
• I saw Margot, who sometimes wears red glasses, looking through Sam’s car. ←The clause “who sometimes wears red glasses” is nonrestrictive, as it provides supplemental information about Margot. The listener/reader already knows that Margot is the woman who was looking through Sam’s car; the information about her eyewear is extra information: it’s still useful information, but it’s not totally necessary. 

Wrapping up Part 1 

This concludes Part 1 of this multi-part blog series, “Sentence Parts and Parts of Speech: A Simple Guide to Basic English Grammar Terminology.” I hope that those of you seeking a deeper knowledge of grammar terminology enjoyed this post! Stay tuned for the other upcoming posts in this series, which will delve deeper into subjects and predicates, in addition to discussing objects and complements. Future posts will also provide basic guidance on parts of speech and discuss how phrases and clauses can function as parts of speech. Stay tuned!