Basic SQL Syntax: SELECT, FROM, WHERE –

Introduction

If you’re just starting with SQL, one of the first things you’ll learn is how to retrieve data from a table using three fundamental keywords:

• SELECT
• FROM
• WHERE

These form the core of almost every SQL query. In this blog post, we’ll break down how each part works, provide real-world examples, and explain how to use them in SQL Server and Power BI environments.

Why Learn SQL Basics?

Learning SELECT, FROM, and WHERE gives you the power to:

• Retrieve specific data from massive databases
• Filter records based on conditions
• Use this data in tools like Power BI for reporting

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1. The SELECT Clause

The SELECT clause tells SQL which columns you want to retrieve.

Basic Syntax:

sqlCopyEditSELECT column1, column2
FROM table_name;

Example:

sqlCopyEditSELECT FirstName, LastName
FROM Employees;

This returns only the FirstName and LastName from the Employees table.

Pro Tip: Use SELECT * to select all columns from the table.

2. The FROM Clause

The FROM clause specifies which table you want to get the data from.

Example:

sqlCopyEditSELECT *
FROM Products;

This pulls all columns from the Products table.

Tables come from your SQL database, often organized under schemas like dbo.Products.

3. The WHERE Clause

The WHERE clause filters records based on specific conditions.

Syntax:

sqlCopyEditSELECT column1
FROM table_name
WHERE condition;

Example:

sqlCopyEditSELECT Name, Salary
FROM Employees
WHERE Salary > 50000;

🔎 This returns names of employees who earn more than 50,000.

More condition examples:

Putting It All Together

Example Query:

sqlCopyEditSELECT Name, Age
FROM Students
WHERE Age BETWEEN 18 AND 25;

This query returns names and ages of students aged between 18 and 25.

Try this inside SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or your preferred SQL tool.

Learn to use queries directly in Power BI with real-time dashboards.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t forget the semicolon ; at the end (especially in multi-query scripts)
• Use correct column names – SQL is case-insensitive, but spelling must match
• Avoid SELECT * in production – it’s better to choose specific columns for performance

Real-World Use Case in Power BI

Suppose you want to analyze orders only from India in Power BI.

Your SQL query might look like:

sqlCopyEditSELECT OrderID, CustomerName, Country
FROM Orders
WHERE Country = 'India';

This helps you filter data before importing it into Power BI, saving memory and improving performance.

Practice this live in our hands-on Data Analytics Training

Summary

Final Thoughts

Mastering these three SQL clauses — SELECT, FROM, and WHERE — is your first step to becoming a data professional. These form the foundation of everything you’ll write in SQL, and they translate directly to what you’ll use in Power BI, data dashboards, and reporting tools.

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