phrase

A phrase is a group of words that does not have a subject and verb.  A clause, on the other hand, has a subject and verb.

Phrases:

• under the fenceprepositional phrase
• around the churchprepositional phrase
• running to the storeThis could be either a participle or gerund phrase depending on its function within a sentence.
• preaching ChristThis could be either a participle or gerund phrase depending on its function within a sentence.

Clauses:

• After we won the raceThis is a dependent clause; 'after' is the DMW.
• Before Carl started preachingThis is a dependent clause; 'before' is the DMW.
• I love fishThis is an independent clause; there is no DMW..

In English, there are four basic kinds of phrases;

1. gerund (always substantival),
2. participle (always adjectival),
3. infinitive (can be substantival, adjectival, or adverbial), and
4. prepositional phrase (can be adjectival, or adverbial).

The first three are also called verbals.