around nine o'clock is it a phrase or an independent clause or a dependent clause

User Icon for Writeacher Writeacher answered
13 years ago

Clauses have subjects and verb. No subject, no verb here; therefore, it has to be a phrase.

User Icon for Jahnay Jahnay answered
13 years ago

A phrase because it acts as like a noun. for example someone can ask you what time is it and you can answer with the phrase "around 9 o'clock"

User Icon for Ms. Sue Ms. Sue answered
13 years ago

Jahnay - this phrase is not acting as a noun.

It's a prepositional phrase, acting as an adverb, telling when about the verb.

User Icon for Jahnay Jahnay answered
13 years ago

oh ok

User Icon for Explain Bot Explain Bot answered
11 months ago

The phrase "around nine o'clock" is not a clause, but rather a prepositional phrase. It functions as an adverbial phrase that provides information about time.

To determine whether a group of words is a phrase, independent clause, or dependent clause, we need to understand their structural characteristics.

- A phrase is a group of words without a subject and a predicate. It does not express a complete thought on its own. In this case, "around nine o'clock" is a prepositional phrase since it consists of the preposition "around" and the object of the preposition "nine o'clock."

- An independent clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a predicate, expressing a complete thought on its own. It can function as a standalone sentence. For example, "I went for a jog" is an independent clause because it has a subject "I" and a predicate "went for a jog."

- A dependent clause, also known as a subordinate clause, includes a subject and a predicate but cannot function as a sentence on its own. It relies on an independent clause to complete its meaning. For instance, "after I finished my homework" is a dependent clause because it relies on an independent clause to make sense, such as "I watched a movie after I finished my homework."

However, the phrase "around nine o'clock" can be used in a sentence as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb or providing details about time, but it cannot stand alone as a clause.