What is the Difference Between Sentence and Clause?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between a sentence and a clause lies in their ability to express a complete thought.
- Clause: A clause is a group of words that contains at least a subject and a verb. Clauses can be either independent or dependent. An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence and expresses a complete thought. A dependent clause, on the other hand, cannot stand alone and requires another clause to complete its meaning.
- Sentence: A sentence is a group of words that communicate a complete thought or idea. A sentence can be made up of one or more clauses, either independent or dependent. A simple sentence contains just one independent clause, while a compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses.
In summary:
- Clauses are groups of words with a subject and a verb, and they can be either independent or dependent.
- Sentences are groups of words that communicate a complete thought or idea, and they can be composed of one or more clauses.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Sentence and Clause? Comparative Table: Sentence vs Clause
Comparative Table: Sentence vs Clause
Here is a table that highlights the differences between a sentence and a clause:
| Feature | Sentence | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A complete unit of expression containing a subject and a predicate | A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate |
| Formation | A sentence consists of one or more clauses | A clause is a part of a sentence and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence |
| Subject and Predicate | A sentence requires at least one subject and one predicate | A clause requires at least one subject and one predicate |
| Completeness | A sentence expresses a complete thought | A clause expresses an incomplete thought |
| Standalone | A sentence can stand alone as a complete unit of expression | A clause cannot stand alone as a complete unit of expression |
For a better understanding of the differences between a sentence and a clause, consider the following examples:
- Sentence: "She is a great cook." (This is a complete unit of expression with a subject "She" and a predicate "is a great cook.")
- Clause: "The child who loves to read." (This is not a complete unit of expression, as it lacks a predicate to form a complete thought.)
Remember that a sentence is a complete unit of expression, while a clause is a part of a sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
Read more:
- a Phrase vs a Clause
- Phrase vs Sentence
- Noun Clause vs Noun Phrase
- Noun Clause vs Adjective Clause
- Relative Clause vs Subordinate Clause
- Main Clause vs Subordinate Clause
- Simple vs Complex Sentence
- Sentence vs Utterance
- Compound vs Complex Sentences
- Coordinate vs Subordinate Clause
- Thesis vs Topic Sentence
- Conviction vs Sentence
- Imperative vs Interrogative Sentences
- Grammar vs Punctuation
- Where vs Which in Relative Clauses
- Passage vs Paragraph
- Noun Phrase vs Adjective Phrase
- Noun vs Subject
- Imperative vs Exclamatory Sentence