Introductory

Phrases and
Clauses

First, what is a phrase?

A phrase is a group of words that does not
have a subject or a verb.
For example:
Eating a peach
Under the teachers desk
After seeing the Taj Mahal
To buy a new phone

What is a clause?
A clause is a group of words that does have
both a subject and a verb.
For example:
After the rain stopped
They studied for the test
I decided to go home
Since the children are sleeping
The cage door was open

Identify these as either

phrases or clauses:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Before baking a pie

Picking some apples
Before he lit the candle
Alice wants to be an astronaut
Although Alice wants to be an astronaut
Behind the couch
When I return from school
While juggling avocados

Introductory Phrases
After using an introductory phrase to
begin a sentence, you may or may not
need to add a comma.

If the introductory phrase is a short and

simple prepositional phrase, you probably
do not need a comma.
For example:
Under the bridge I met a kindly troll.
After dinner we went for a walk.
In France the students toured museums.

However, if the introductory phrase is a

longer prepositional phrase, or if a comma
will make the sentence clearer, use a
comma.
After getting stung by a bee, Janice cried
for hours.
Above the door of his bedroom, Alexs little
brother had placed a bucket of water.
In fact, facts provide useful information for
research papers.

If the introductory phrase is any other type

of phrase, use a comma.
For example:
Eating a peach, Caroline walked down the
street.
To buy a new phone, David first needed to
get a job.
Preparing to ride the giant rollercoaster, I
took a deep breath.

Introductory Clauses
After using an introductory clause to
begin a sentence, you must add either a
comma, a semicolon, a comma with a
conjunction, or a period.

If the clause can act as a full sentence (for

example, I decided to go home), you must
follow it with either a semicolon, a period, or a
comma with a conjunction (and, but, for, so,
or, etc.)
For example, any of these constructions are
grammatically correct:
I decided to go home; I was tired of the zoo.
I decided to go home. I was tired of the zoo.
I decided to go home, for I was
tired of the zoo.

If the clause cannot act as a full sentence

(for example, After the rain stopped), you
must follow it with a comma.
For example:
After the rain stopped, the chickens
emerged from their coop.
After the rain stopped, I splashed in the
puddles.
After the rain stopped, the threat of a flood
significantly decreased.

QUIZ TIME!
Identify the introductory parts of these
sentences as either phrases or clauses:
1. Before he lit the candles, he made sure
his fire extinguisher was close at hand.
2. While juggling avocados, the amateur
clown inadvertently made guacamole.
3. Alyssas party was cancelled, so I went
to Joshs instead.

4. After learning to play guitar, Frank joined

a band.
5. After he learned to play guitar, Frank
wrote a new song every day.
6. To gather more volunteers, Meg offered
free food.
7. Hiking through the woods, John fell and
broke his leg.

Now, identify these sentences as correct or

incorrect:
1. Under the teachers desk, the students
found a chinchilla.
2. Picking some apples Jeremy delighted in
the fresh spring air.
3. When I return from school in the
afternoon I usually eat a snack.

4. To be an astronaut, you need to undergo

intense training.
5. To start a fire the Boy Scouts had to find
dry wood.

Two forms of Run-On

Sentences
A fused sentence is a sentence that has
two or more complete sentences without
the correct punctuation between them.
Bob went to the store he
bought some apples.

Run On Sentences
A comma splice is two or more complete
sentences held together by only a
comma.

Bob went to the store,

he bought some
apples.

Now your turn to be FixIt

How do you fix these run-on errors?
Bob went to the store he bought some
apples.
Bob went to the store, he bought some
apples.

1. Adding a period makes two complete

sentences.
2. Adding a semicolon or a colon makes one
complete sentence.
3. Adding a comma and coordinating
conjunction will make one complete
sentence.

ONCE MORE
Coordinating Conjunctions
For And Nor But Or Yet So = FANBOYS
Use the FANBOYS formula to combine independent
clauses:
Subject + Predicate, {FANBOYS} Subject + Predicate