grade 7 unit 13: phrases, clauses, and sentences

Grade 7 Unit 13: Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Unit Objectives 2

Lesson 1: Phrases 3 Warm-up! 3 Learn About It! 4 Check Your Understanding 8 Let’s Step Up! 9

Lesson 2: Clauses 10 Warm-up! 10 Learn About It! 11 Check Your Understanding 12 Let’s Step Up! 13

Lesson 3: Sentences 14 Warm-up! 14 Learn About It! 15 Check Your Understanding 17 Let’s Step Up! 18

Performance Task 19

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 21

Wrap Up 22

Bibliography 23

GRADE 7 | English

UNIT 13 Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences Anything that we see here in this world—big or small—have structures. From tall buildings to the smallest insects, everything is made up of smaller parts with certain characteristics or functions. Even when we write or speak, we form words and organize them, so it could mean something to our addressee. In this unit, you will learn how to distinguish among phrases, clauses, and sentences and how they are used appropriately and meaningfully in speech and in writing.

Unit Objectives

In this unit, you should be able to:

● use phrases appropriately and meaningfully; ● use clauses appropriately and meaningfully; and ● use sentences appropriately and meaningfully.

Copyright © 2018 Quipper Limited 2

Lesson 1: Phrases

Phrases are considered one of the basic components of language. Knowing these basic components is essential in order to become an effective writer and speaker. This unit will teach you more about phrases.

Warm-up!

Dyad Activity: With a partner, rearrange the letters to form words that have something to do with different types of phrases.

aiaiicptplr neioaoslpprti sbtoauel oaiivpspet reugdn fnneiiiivt uonn


Learn About It!

Read the excerpt of the short story “Night in the Hills” by Paz Marquez Benitez:

A Night in the Hills (excerpt) By Paz Marquez Benitez

On his bed of

twigs and small branches, under a roughly contrived roof Gerardo lay down that evening after automatically crossing himself. He shifted around until at last he settled into a comfortable hollow. The fire was burning brightly, fed occasionally with dead branches that the men had collected into a pile. Ambo and

the porters were sitting on the black oilcloth that had served them for a dining table. They sat with their arms hugging their knees and talked together in peaceable tones punctuated with brief laughter. From where he lay Gerardo Luna could feel the warmth of the fire on his face.

He was drifting into deeply contented slumber, lulled by the even tones of his companions. Voices out-doors had a strange quality. They blended with the wind, and on its waves, flowed gently around and past one who listened. In the haze of new sleep, he thought he was listening not to human voices but to something more elemental. A warm sea on level stretches of beach. Or, if he had ever known such a thing, raindrops on the bamboos.

He awoke uneasily after an hour or two. The men were still talking, but intermittently.


The fire was not so bright nor so warm.

Ambo was saying: “Gather more firewood. We must keep the fire burning all night. You may sleep. I shall wake up once in a while to put on more wood.”

Gerardo was reassured. The thought that he would have to sleep in the dark not knowing whether snakes were crawling towards him was intolerable. He settled once more into light slumber.

The men talked on. They did not sing as boatmen would have done while paddling their bancas in the dark. Perhaps only sea-folk sang and hill-folk kept silence. For sea-folk bear no burdens to weigh them down to the earth. Into whatever wilderness of remote sea their wanderer’s hearts may urge them, they may load their treasures in sturdy craft, pull at the oar or invoke the wind, and raise their voices in song. The depths of ocean beneath, the height of sky above, and between, a song floating out on the darkness. A song in the hills would only add to the lonesomeness a hundredfold.

He woke up again feeling that the little twigs underneath him had suddenly acquired uncomfortable proportions. Surely when he lay down they were almost unnoticeable. He raised himself on his elbow and carefully scrutinized his mat for snakes. He shook his blanket out and once more eased himself into a new and smoother corner. The men were now absolutely quiet, except for their snoring. The fire was burning low. Ambo evidently had failed to wake up in time to feed it.

He thought of getting up to attend to the fire, but hesitated. He lay listening to the forest and sensing the darkness. How vast that darkness! Mile upon mile of it all around. Lost somewhere in it, a little flicker, a little warmth.

*** When he woke again the fire was smoldering. But there was a light in the forest, an

eerie light. It was diffused and cold. He wondered what it was. There were noises now where before had seemed only the silence itself. There were a continuous trilling, strange night-calls and a peculiar, soft clinking which recurred at regular intervals. Forest noises. There was the noise, too, of nearby waters.

Notice the underlined portions in the short story. Do they make sense on their own? These group of words are known as phrases.


A phrase is the basic unit of English grammar and is a group of words that do not have a subject nor a predicate. Thus, it cannot stand alone and does not have a complete meaning. Types of Phrases Phrases come in various types. These are:

1. Absolute Phrase. It is a phrase that combines a noun and a participle with any accompanying modifiers or objects.

Their arms hugging their knees, they sat and talked together in peaceable tones punctuated with brief laughter.

2. Appositive Phrase. It is a phrase is that restates, expounds, or explains further the

term it precedes.

But there was a light in the forest, an eerie light.

3. Gerund Phrase. It is a phrase that includes a verbal that is formed ending in -ing, and

other modifiers or complements. It serves as a noun or an adjective in a sentence.

The depths of ocean beneath, the height of sky above, and between, a song floating out on the darkness.

4. Infinitive Phrase. It consists of an infinitive — the root of the verb preceded by to —

and any modifiers or complements attached to it. It can act as a noun, specifically a subject, an object or a noun in a predicate of a sentence that follows a linking verb (e.g., is, are, etc.).

The thought that he would have to sleep in the dark not knowing whether snakes were crawling towards him was intolerable.


5. Noun phrase. It comprises a noun and other modifiers attached to it. The modifier can

be a possessive pronoun, an article, an adjective, or a preposition. It can act as a subject, an object, or a complement in a sentence.

Ambo and the porters were sitting on the black oilcloth that had served them for a dining table.

6. Participial Phrase. It consists of verbals ending in -ing or -ed, or another irregular form

of a verb, and other modifiers and complements attached to it. It serves as an adjective.

They blended with the wind, and on its waves, flowed gently around and past one who listened.

7. Prepositional Phrase. It consists of a preposition, an article, a noun or pronoun, and

often, one or more adjectives.

On his bed of twigs and small branches, under a roughly contrived roof Gerardo lay down that evening after automatically crossing himself.


Check Your Understanding

Underline the phrase in the following sentences: 1. We went out to see Linda. 2. Roda was a person of good character. 3. We found a dog with matted fur. 4. Walking in the rain, she thought about the things he said. 5. Grace found the watch near the bushes.

Match the items in column A with those in column B.

A B

1. gerund phrase a. Excited about the trip, Yara packed three sets of swimsuits.

2. appositive phrase b. Alvin likes running without shoes. 3. participial phrase c. Walter went home to study for the test. 4. infinitive phrase d. The store is across the street. 5. prepositional phrase e. The spider, a tarantula, made Tori scream.

Provide two examples for each of the following.

1. noun phrase 2. absolute phrase 3. gerund phrase 4. infinitive phrase 5. participial phrase


Let’s Step Up!


Lesson 2: Clauses

Using clauses appropriately will help make your sentences or, in general, your writing clearly understood. In this lesson, you will learn more about clauses.

Warm-up!

Think-Pair-Share Activity: Part 1. Think of at least 10 different phrases and list them all down.

Phrases

Part 2. Try to combine two of these phrases to form a clause that has a subject and a verb. Come up with at least 5 combined phrases. Share your answers in class.

Combined phrases


Learn About It!

A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb. A clause with both a subject and a verb that is complete in thought is called an independent clause. On the other hand, a clause with a subject and a verb but can't stand on its own in meaning is called a dependent clause.

Under dependent clauses, there are two more kinds of clauses: adjectival and adverbial clauses. An adjectival clause describes a noun or a pronoun and it usually starts with the relative pronouns "who," "which" or "that." The second type, the adverbial clause, modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb, and it usually answers the questions "where," "when," "how," "why," "to what extent," or "under what condition." In the excerpt from “A Night in the Hills” by Paz Marquez Benitez, some examples of clauses can be seen:


He remembered his wife. He had a fleeting thought of God. Then he remembered his wife again. Probably not his wife as herself, as a definite personality, but merely as a companion and a ministerer to his comfort. Not his wife, but a wife. His mind recreated a scene (1) which had no reason at all for persisting as a memory. There was very little to it. He had waked one midnight to find his wife sitting up in the bed they shared. (2) She had on her flannel camisa de chino, always more or less dingy, and she was telling her beads. “What are you doing?” he had asked. “I forgot to say my prayers,” she


had answered.

He was oppressed by nostalgia. And because he did not know what it was he wanted his longing became keener. Not for his wife, nor for his life in the city. Not for his parents nor even for his lost childhood. What was there in these that could provoke anything remotely resembling this regret? What was not within the lifespan could not be memories. Something more remote even than race memory. His longing went farther back, to some age in Paradise maybe (3) when the soul of man was limitless and unshackled: when it embraced the infinite and did not hunger because it had the inexhaustible at its command.

Example 2 is an example of an independent clause as it contains both a subject and a predicate. Examples 1 and 3 are both dependent clauses as they cannot stand alone. Example 1 is an adjectival clause as it describes the noun “scene”, while Example 3 is an example of an adverbial clause as it answers the question “when.”


Write C if the underlined word is a clause and P if it is a phrase. _______1. The woman with the tattoo gave me a ride home. _______2. Aside from wisdom, the fairy godmother gave her courage. _______3. The witch who gave the apple is her stepmother. _______4. Our team building will push through because Harold got us a venue. _______5. We will not leave until we see her.


Write IC if the underlined clause is an independent clause or DC if it is a dependent clause.

1. When I saw her, she was carrying a big bag of chips. 2. Jarren did his homework before he went to bed. 3. If you jump, I will also jump. 4. I know why she failed to submit her work today. 5. We decided to go out and play badminton, although the weather was not that

good.

Choose an interesting newspaper article, and list down all the independent

and dependent clauses. List at least 5 clauses.

Let’s Step Up!


Lesson 3: Sentences

A good composition and an effective speech means choosing the right words and using appropriate and meaningful sentences. This lesson will help you learn more about sentences.

Warm-up!

Triad Activity: Form a group of three. Repair the following group of words to make them express a complete thought. Share your answers in class.

when the fire alarm rang yesterday

as soon as I receive it

and dance like nobody’s watching

if you see the red car

until the next harvest


Learn About It!

When an independent and dependent clause combine, they form sentences. They are groups of words that contain both a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as it has complete meaning. Read the excerpt from “A Night in the Hills” by Paz Marquez Benitez and observe the underlined sentences.


“Why, whatever happens, your land will be there. Nothing can possibly take it away. You may lose one crop, two, three. Que importe! The land will still be there.”

Sotera said coldly, “I do not see any sense in it. How can you think of land when a pawn shop is so much more profitable? Think! People coming to you to urge you to accept their business. There’s Peregrina. She would make the right partner for you, the right wife. Why don’t you decide?”

***


Among the foothills noon found them. He was weary and wet with sweat.

“Can’t we get water?” he asked dispiritedly.

“We are coming to water,” said Ambo. “We shall be there in ten minutes.”

Up a huge scorched log Ambo clambered, the party following. Along it they edged precariously to avoid the charred twigs and branches that strewed the ground. Here and there a wisp of smoke still curled feebly out of the ashes.

“A new kaingin,” said Ambo. “The owner will be around, I suppose. He will not be going home before the end of the week. Too far.”

A little farther they came upon the owner, a young man with a cheerful face streaked and smudged from his work. He stood looking at them, his two hands resting on the shaft of his axe. “Where are you going?” he asked quietly and casually. All these people were casual and quiet.

Types of Sentences Sentences serve different purposes depending on the situation. These sentences are identified as the following:

1. Declarative. It makes a statement and ends with a period.

Among the foothills noon found them.

2. Interrogative. It asks a question and ends with a question mark.

“Where are you going?” he asked quietly and casually.

3. Imperative. It either makes a request or a command and it ends with either a period or


an exclamation mark if it is a strong command.

Think! People coming to you to urge you to accept their business.

4. Exclamation. It expresses strong emotions and it ends with an exclamation mark.

Think!


Write S if the group of words is a sentence and write NS if it is not.

________1. Ready? ________2. Along the riverbend. ________3. Because I do. ________4. Please pass the soy sauce. ________5. I am.

Provide an example for each of the following. 1. sentence 2. declarative sentence


3. interrogative sentence 4. imperative sentence 5. exclamation sentence

Write about a memory that brings you so much longing when you remember

it. Underline the clauses and encircle the sentences you used and label them properly according to their kind.

Let’s Step Up!


Performance Task

A Colorful Short Story Goal: Your task is to create a new colorful short story.

Role: You are a promising young writer. You have been tasked by a publishing company to create a colorful short story, which will be presented on their foundation day.

Audience: The target audience is the publishing company’s board of directors and other prominent authors, including very important guests.

Situation: The challenge involves coming up with a colorful short story and making it as interesting and unique as possible.

Product/Performance and Purpose:

You will create a colorful short story using the following guidelines:

1. Write a short story about a topic of your own choice and with a theme that expresses a view about life you can relate with.

2. Make sure that your story has a minimum of 50 phrases, 50 clauses (dependent), and 50 sentences.

a. Highlight the phrases, clauses, and sentences by coloring them. Color all the phrases green, clauses red, sentences blue, and punctuations black.

3. Your story must contain a minimum of 5,000 words. 4. The elements of a narrative story must be evident. 5. Print your finished product on short bond paper, size font 12, double-spaced.

Standards and criteria for success: Your work will be judged by the following rubric:


Criteria Beginning (0-12 points)

Developing (13-16 points)

Accomplished (17-20 points)

Score

Content (Focus on details/events are clearly evident; it is clearly related to the topic.)

Organization (Logical progression of details/events; clear transitions between ideas.)

Language (spelling, mechanics, grammar and usage)

Colored phrases used 0-19 phrases 20-45 phrases

46-50 phrases

Colored clauses used 0-19 clauses 20-45 clauses

46-50 clauses

Colored sentences used 0-19 sentences

20-45 sentences

46-50 sentences

Elements of a short story Incomplete elements

All elements present

Punctuality More than 1 day late

1 day late On time

Total Score:


Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?

Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the appropriate box.

Skills I think I need more

practice and assistance

I am familiar and can perform well

with minimal assistance

I am confident that I can perform this on

my own

I can use phrases appropriately and meaningfully.

I can use clauses appropriately and meaningfully.

I can use sentences appropriately and meaningfully.


Wrap Up

Phrase Clause Sentence

A phrase is the basic unit of English grammar and is a group of words that do not have a subject nor a predicate. The following are the types of phrases:

1. absolute phrase 2. appositive phrase 3. gerund phrase 4. infinitive phrase 5. noun phrase 6. participial phrase 7. prepositional phrase

A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb. A clause with both a subject and a verb that is complete in thought is called an independent clause, while a clause with a subject and a verb, but cannot stand on its own in meaning is called a dependent clause. Under dependent clauses, there are two more kinds of clauses: adjectival and adverbial clauses.

Sentences are group of words that contain both a subject a predicate and can stand alone as it has complete meaning. The following are the kinds of sentences: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.


Bibliography

Benitez, Paz Marquez. n.d. A Night in the Hills. The Best Philippine Short Stories. Accessed May 15, 2018. http://www.sushidog.com/bpss/stories/hills.htm.

Cambridge Dictionary. Accessed May 15, 2018. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/types-of-english-formal-informal-etc/british-and-american-english

Clause, phrase and sentence. n.d. British Council. Accessed May 15, 2018. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/clause-phrase-and-sentence

Mark, Nichol . 2017. 7 Classes of Phrases. 7 Daily Writing Tips. Accessed May 15, 2018. https://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-classes-of-phrases/.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Accessed May 15, 2018. https://www.merriam-webster.com/

Recommended Links for This Unit:

TedEd. n.d. Independent & Subordinate Clauses & Conjunctions. Accessed May 19, 2018. https://ed.ted.com/on/FG3DwUjU.


grade 7 unit 13: phrases, clauses, and sentences

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