Question

Please give me an easy explanation on how to know whether something is a phrase or a clause.

Answer 1

The main difference is that clauses have both a subject and a verb; phrases do not. Phrases are part of clauses. They add meaning to sentences, but the sentence can exist without a phrase.

Example: In the kitchen ( phrase )

Much too quickly to see clearly ( phrase )

Shanon speaks loudly in the bus ( clause )

I ate the bag of chips already ( clause )

Answer 2

A clause may form a part of a sentence or it may be a sentence on its own e.g He was eating a bacon sandwich.
Whereas A phrase doesn’t have a subject or a predicate to communicate a thought e.g bacon sandwich