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Phrases and Clauses

    Phrase
    Clause
    Sentence
    Kinds of Clauses
    Clauses and Sentences
    Paragraphs

Phrase

A phrase is a group of words working together. Some examples of phrases are:

Clause

A clause is a group of words working together with a subject and a verb showing time (or tense).
Some examples of clauses are: (Top of Page)
 

Sentence

A sentence is a complete thought, begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, and always has at least one main clause.
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Kinds of Clauses

The type of clause depends on its completeness and its function in the sentence. (Top of Page)

Clauses and Sentences

A simple sentence has only one clause.  This clause, by definition, must be an independent (or principle or main) clause. A compound sentence has two independent (or more) clauses joined by one of the “fanboys” – the co-ordinating conjunctions "for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so". A semi-colon (;) can also join two main clauses to form a compound sentence; this sentence is an example.
A complex sentence has at least one independent clause and at least one dependent (or subordinate) clause.
Sometimes when a complex sentence has two independent clauses as well as one or more independent clauses, it is called a compound-complex sentence.An independent clause stands by itself.  By itself it is a simple sentence; in a compound sentence, there are two independent clauses joined by one of the "FANBOYS" -- "and", "or", "but" and so on.
 
Notes:
A dependent clause needs an independent clause in the same sentence for the sentence to express a complete thought.  If the dependent clause modifies a noun, it is an adjective (or relative) clause; if the dependent clause modifies a verb, then it is an adverb clause; if it is used like a noun in a sentence, either as a subject, an object, or an object of a preposition, then the clause is a noun clause. Any sentence which has a dependent clause with a main or principal clause is a complex sentence.  (If you analyze it, you will see that the previous sentence is a complex sentence.)  If a sentence contains two or more independent clauses, it is a compound sentence. If a sentence has one independent clause, then it is a simple sentence.


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Paragraphs

A paragraph is a unified group of related sentences expressing aspects of one idea. The main idea is introduced in the topic sentence, and the other sentences give supporting details. (In technical writing, if all that needs to be expressed can be expressed in one sentence, this one sentence is considered a paragraph.)

The topic sentence contains the most important or the broadest idea, statement, concept, or question. All the other sentences in the paragraph explain or support this main idea. Most often in technical writing, the topic sentence is at the beginning of the paragraph.


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Technical Writing Process Cover

Technical
Writing Process

The 5 Step Guide
to Writing Successful
Technical Documents
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