TSA CBT Practice Test

How is a phrase defined in sentence construction?

1. A subject and predicate

2. A group of related words without a subject or a predicate

3. A complete thought with a subject and a verb

4. A single grammatical unit

The correct answer is: A group of related words without a subject or a predicate

A phrase is defined as a group of related words that work together but do not contain both a subject and a predicate. This is a fundamental characteristic of phrases; they can include noun phrases, verb phrases, prepositional phrases, and more, but they do not stand alone as a complete sentence since they lack a subject-verb combination. In contrast, a subject and predicate together make up a complete sentence or clause. A complete thought with a subject and a verb represents a full sentence, not a phrase. A single grammatical unit could refer to various structures, including both phrases and clauses, but in the context of sentence construction, it might not specify the lack of a subject and predicate that defines a phrase. Thus, the definition that aligns with the concept of a phrase is the one that emphasizes the lack of a complete subject-predicate structure.