Which phrase describes a clause?
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate (verb) and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence or be used as part of a larger sentence. There are two main types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses.
An independent clause can form a complete sentence on its own, expressing a complete thought. For example, "She went to the store." This sentence has a subject (she) and a predicate (went to the store).
A dependent clause, on the other hand, cannot stand alone as a complete sentence since it relies on an independent clause to make sense. It functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb within a sentence. For example, "Because it was raining, she decided to stay at home." The dependent clause "Because it was raining" cannot be a sentence on its own, but it provides additional information about the reason why she decided to stay at home.
So to answer your question, "dependent clause" is the phrase that describes a clause which cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.