This time, we're gonna focus a bit more on grammatical words. I'm sure you've come across these two words at least once. Let's learn about them.

"Idiom" vs. "Phrase" in the English Grammar

What Is Their Main Difference?

They both refer to a chain of words that have a particular meaning. An 'idiom', however, refers to a saying that has a metaphor and you have to read between the lines in order to understand its meaning. A 'phrase', on the other hand, refers to a chain of words that are part of a clause or a sentence.

Differences

A phrase is a grammatical unit that is comprised of different words chained together. We have five types of 'phrases' in the English language that are 'noun phrases', 'verb phrases', 'adjective phrases', 'adverb phrases', and 'prepositional phrases'. Each phrase is determined by its head. Phrases do not have a subject and a verb and they also do not have complete meanings. Look at the examples below:

Listening to music → Noun phrase

Go to the bathroom → Verb phrase

Stylish woman → Adjective phrase

Very carefully → Adverbial phrase

In the group → Prepositional phrase

An 'idiom', on the other hand, refers to a chain of words that come together to convey a particular meaning. If you separate these words, they will not have the same meaning as they did in the idiom. 'Idioms' are said to have come from different stories in the past. They have metaphorical meanings. Look at the following examples:

Mom said: 'Don't beat around the bush!'

As you can see, this sentence does not have a literal meaning.

I asked him to cut me some slack.

Similarities

Both are only similar in that they are comprised of several words together. Take a look at the examples below:

Of all the hardships she has been through, this one seems the most interesting to me.

Here, the highlighted part is a prepositional phrase.

You still have a chip on your shoulder? C'mon dude, let go.

Are They Interchangeable?

As it was clear above, these two are completely different structures. So, they cannot be used interchangeably. An 'idiom' has a metaphorical meaning, whereas, a 'phrase' has no complete meaning. It is part of a sentence. Compare:

Joanna has decided to bite the bullet and sign the contract.

This is an example of an 'idiom'.

The beautiful woman thought it necessary to move to London.

The highlighted part is an example of a verb phrase.

Comments

(0)
Loading Recaptcha...
Share on :

Recommended

Implicit vs. Explicit

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
What do you think about these two words? Are they different or similar? Or different, maybe? Well, in order to find out, why don't you come with me?

Inquiry vs. Query

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, we will focus on the differences and similarities between these two words. If you still wanna expand your knowledge, come with me.

Invoke vs. Evoke

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
This time, we're gonna discuss these two verbs and see how different or similar they are. Ready to expand your knowledge? Well, come on in.

Ill vs. Sick

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, we're gonna learn all there is about the differences and similarities between 'ill' and 'sick'. Can you tell? Well, c'mon.

Into vs. In to

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
Let's work on some confusing grammatical pairs. If you're still interested in expanding your knowledge and improving your language proficiency, join me.

Illness vs. Disease

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, we're about to learn about all the differences and similarities between these two words. If you're still interested in learning more, join me.
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app