Phrase vs Sentence
In the English language, words like phrase, clause, and sentence are often confused. It is important to understand the difference between a phrase and a sentence. A phrase is a group of words that does not contain both a subject and a verb, and thus only conveys a simple meaning or concept. On the other hand, a sentence is a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb, allowing it to convey a complete meaning. The main difference between the two is that while a sentence conveys a complete meaning to the reader, a phrase does not.
What is a Phrase?
A phrase is a group of words that form part of a sentence. It cannot express a complete thought or meaning but can be used as parts of a sentence. There are different types of phrases, such as noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, and adverb phrases. A noun phrase contains the subject of a sentence, while a verb phrase contains the predicate. Neither a noun phrase nor a verb phrase conveys a complete meaning in isolation because they fail to provide the reader with sufficient information to grasp the complete meaning.
What is a Sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that conveys a complete meaning or thought. It contains both the subject and verb. Sentences can be simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex, and are made up of a variety of phrases.
What is the difference between Phrase and Sentence?
• A phrase is a group of words that do not have both a subject and a verb, while a sentence is a group of words that conveys a complete meaning.
• Nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, gerunds, infinitives, etc. can be used as phrases.
• A phrase can convey an incomplete meaning, while a sentence conveys a direct meaning to the reader.
• There can be a number of phrases in a sentence.
Key Takeaways
- A phrase is a group of words without both a subject and a verb, and only conveys a simple meaning or concept.
- A sentence is a group of words containing both a subject and a verb, and conveys a complete meaning.
- While a sentence conveys a complete and direct meaning to the reader, a phrase does not.
