UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGÓGICA EXPERIMENTAL LIBERTADOR

INSTITUTO PEDAGOGICO DE MARACAY “RAFAEL ALBERTO ESCOBAR LARA”

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AREA OF LINGUISTICS
ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Yuraima Bustamante ID 12140312

ILE section 1

Octubre, 2023
CLAUSE

A clause is a combination of words that makes up a sentence. It consists of a subject

and a predicate. It can also be said that a clause should have a subject and a verb.
Clauses are the building blocks of English sentences. They are made up of the
smallest units of language — words. A clause is a group of words that contains
a subject and a verb.
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a clause is defined as “a group of
words that includes a subject and a verb, and forms a sentence or part of a
sentence.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines a clause as “a group of words,
consisting of a subject and a finite form of a verb.” “A clause is a group of words
containing a verb”, according to the Collins Dictionary. According to the Merriam-
Webster Dictionary, a clause is defined as “a group of words containing a subject
and predicate and functioning as a member of a complex or compound sentence.”

EXAMPLES
I graduated last year
The red squirrel darted up a tree.
I completed my graduation last year

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete

thought. It can stand alone as a sentence by itself. An independent clause is fOlmed
with a subject and a verb and often a complement.

Every main clause will follow this pattern:

SUBJECT + VERB = COMPLETE THOUGHT .

Examples of Independent Clause:

• I enjoy sitting by the fireplace and reading.

• Autumn is the season when the leaves fall from the trees.
• The waves crashed onto the sandy shore.

Every sentence must have at least one main clause. Otherwise, you have a
fragment, a major error.

DEPENDENT CLAUSE (SUBORDINATE CLAUSE)

A dependent clause begins with a subordinator such as when, while, if, that, or who.
A dependent clause does not express a complete thought, so it is not a sentence by
itself. A dependent clause is also called a sentence fragment. By itself, it is an
incomplete sentence, and it is an error. A dependent clause is formed with a
subordinator, a subject, and a verb.
A subordinate clause will follow this pattern:

SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION + SUBJECT + VERB = INCOMPLETE

THOUGHT .

Examples of Dependent Clauses

• After we reached home, we watched a movie.

• While we were waiting at the bus stop, we saw a monkey snatching a snack
from a little boy.

• Though Malcom did not find the movie interesting, he stayed until the end of
the movie.
Remember that subordinate clauses can never stand alone as complete sentences.
To complete the thought, you must attach each subordinate clause to a main clause.

These are the patterns:

MAIN CLAUSE + Ø + SUBORDINATE CLAUSE .
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE + , + MAIN CLAUSE .

MAIN CLAUSE

The main clause is the main idea of the sentence and makes sense by itself as a
simple sentence. Contain a subject and a verbTogether, this pair expresses a
complete thought.

FOR EXAMPLE:

• My wife is a doctor
• Diane kicked the soda machine
• I like bananas

FINITE CLAUSES

A finite clause contains an explicit subject in the form of a noun phrase (for
example, students, the software engineer, a computer that they purchased ) or
a pronoun (for example, we, she, they). In addition, the finite clause contains a
"finite verb"--a verb that either expresses tense (for example, past or present)
or that follows a helping verb such as can, should, or must.

EXAMPLES

• I had something to eat before leaving.

• After having spent six hours at the hospital, they eventually came home.
• She writes home every day
NON-FINITE CLAUSES

Non-finite clauses contain a verb which does not show tense. We usually use non-
finite verbs only in subordinate clauses. We usually understand the time referred to
from the context of the main clause. We often use a non-finite clause when the
subject is the same as the subject in the main clause:

EXAMPLES

• I had something to eat before leaving.

• After having spent six hours at the hospital, they eventually came home.

• He left the party and went home, not having anyone to talk to.

• The person to ask about going to New Zealand is Beck.

• You have to look at the picture really carefully in order to see all the
detail.

AFTER, ALTHOUGH, THOUGH, AND IF

We often use non-finite clauses after some subordinating conjunctions

like after, although, though and if:

• By the end of the day, although exhausted, Mark did not feel quite as tired
as he had in the past.

• The proposal, if accepted by Parliament, will mean fundamental changes to

the education system.

AFTER VERBS + -ING OR INFINITIVE WITH TO

We use non-finite clauses as the complements to verbs which take -ing or to-
infinitive after them:

• I don’t enjoy playing tennis in the rain.

• I’d hate to travel to London every day.

NOMINAL

The term nominal is a category that describes the usage of parts of speech in a
sentence. Specifically, the nominal definition is a noun, noun phrase, or any word or
word group that functions as a noun. It is also known as a substantive. The term
comes from the Latin, meaning "name." Nominals can be the subject of a sentence,
the object of a sentence, or the predicate nominative, which follows a linking verb
and explains what the subject is. Nominals are used to give more specifics than a
simple noun.

EXAMPLES

A nice cup of tea

In other words, a nominal is a linguistic term that refers to a word, phrase, or clause
that functions as a noun or a noun phrase. It can act as the subject, object, or
complement in a sentence. Here are a few examples of nominals:

1. Noun: "Dog" Example: "The dog barks loudly."

2. Pronoun: "He" Example: "He is a good student."

3. Gerund: "Swimming" Example: "Swimming is her favorite activity."

4. Infinitive: "To play" Example: "She loves to play the piano."

5. Noun phrase: "A black cat" Example: "A black cat crossed my path."

In these examples, the nominals serve as the main elements that function as nouns
or noun phrases in the sentences. They can play different roles in a sentence
depending on their function.
NOMINAL CLAUSES

Nominal clauses contain a verb and often begin with words such as what (or
other wh- words) or that. These are called that- clauses and wh- clauses or relative
clauses. Consider, for example, the sentence "He can go wherever he wants." The
clause starts with a wh- word, contains a verb, and functions, taken whole, as a
noun. You can tell it functions as a noun because you could replace it with a noun
or a pronoun. For example, you could say, "He can go home," "He can go to Paris,"
or "He can go there."

Because the wh- clause doesn't have a headword, it's called a free (nominal) relative
clause. Nominal clauses are dependent clauses. They cannot stand alone as a
sentence but do contain a verb.

EXAMPLES

• I believe that grammar is easier than it seems.

• What I had for lunch was delicious.

• Beth is whom I was referring to.

ADVERBIAL CLAUSES
An adverbial clause plays the same part in a sentence as other adverbials do..
Adverbial clauses have two main functions in relation to their host clause.
(Greenbaum, 1996)

An adverbial clause is part of the main clause in the same way as other adverbials
are, such as an adverb or prepositional phrase.
A comma is more usual when the adverbial clause comes first.

EXAMPLES
• I listen to music while I'm driving
• We could play cards afterwards.
• We could play cards after the meal.
• We could play cards after we've eaten.
The clause usually goes in front position or end position.

• If you like, we could play cards.

• We could play cards if you like.

RELATIVE CLAUSE

A relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. It has a subject and verb, but can’t
stand alone as a sentence. It is sometimes called an “adjective clause” because it
functions like an adjective—it gives more information about a noun. A relative clause
always begins with a “relative pronoun,” which substitutes for a noun, a noun phrase,
or a pronoun when sentences are combined. Relative clauses give us information about
the person or thing mentioned.
. (council, 2023)

EXAMPLES:

• The woman who lives next door works in a bank.

• These are the flights that have been cancelled.
•
We usually use a relative pronoun or adverb to start a defining relative
clause: who, which, that, when, where or whose.

WHO/THAT

We can use who or that to talk about people. that is more common and a bit more
informal.

• She's the woman who cuts my hair.

• He's the man that I met at the conference.
WHICH/THAT
We can use which or that to talk about things. that is more common and a bit more
informal.

• There was a one-year guarantee which came with the TV.

The laptop that I bought last week has started making a strange noise!

Relative pronoun as subject (In bold):

I like the person. The person was nice to me.

I like the person who was nice to me.

I hate the dog. The dog bit me.

I hate the dog that bit me.

I am moving to Louisville, KY. It is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

I am moving to Louisville, KY, which is home to the Muhammad Ali

Museum.

Relative pronoun as object (in bold):

I like the bike. My father gave me the bike.

I like the bike that my father gave me.

COMPARATIVE CLAUSE

A comparative clause is a type of subordinate clause that follows the comparative

form of an adjective or adverb and begins with as, than, or like. As the name
indicates, a comparative clause expresses a comparison—for example,

"Diana is smarter than I am.

A comparative clause may contain ellipsis: "Diana is smarter than I" (formal style) or
"Diana is smarter than me" (informal style). A construction in which the verb has
been omitted by ellipsis is called a comparative phrase.

Martin H. Manser notes that "[m]any familiar idiomatic phrases take the form of
comparative clauses linking equivalents of various kinds: as clear as day, as good
as gold, as light as a feather"

PERIPHERAL CLAUSES

Also known as nonrestrictive or nonessential clauses, are subordinate clauses that

provide additional information about the main clause but can be removed without
affecting the basic meaning of the sentence. They are set off by punctuation marks
such as commas, dashes, or parentheses.

FOR EXAMPLE:

"John, who is a lawyer, loves to travel." (The clause "who is a lawyer" is a peripheral
clause providing additional information about John, but the sentence would still make
sense without it.) –

"The Smiths, having won the lottery, decided to buy a new house." (The clause
"having won the lottery" is a peripheral clause providing additional information about
the Smiths, but the sentence would still be complete without it.)

Peripheral clauses often contain relative pronouns (who, which, that) or participial
phrases. They add descriptive or explanatory details to the sentence and can help
provide a clearer understanding of the main clause.
INFINITE CLAUSES

An infinitive clause is a subordinate clause whose verb is in the infinitive form. Also
known as an infinitival clause or a to-infinitive clause. The infinitive clause is called
a clause because it may contain such clausal elements as a subject, object,
complement, or modifier. Unlike most other subordinate clauses in English, infinitive
clauses are not introduced by a subordinating conjunction.

Verbs that can be followed by infinitive clauses (as objects) include: agree, begin,
decide, hope, intend, like, plan, and propose.

EXAMPLES

• "I'm sorry but there's a handsome man in my spoon. You'll have to come
back later."
Jane was firm in her desire to live life on her own terms.
• Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the
slums of Mumbai.
• "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."(Yiddish proverb)

ING-CLAUSE

An ing-clause, also known as a gerund clause or present participle clause, is a type

of nonfinite clause that uses the present participle form of a verb (ending in -ing). It
functions as a noun in a sentence and typically acts as the subject or object of a
verb.
EXAMPLES:
• The roads connecting two villages is very narrow.
• Police investigating the crime are looking for three men.
EXAMPLE OF AN ING-CLAUSE AS THE SUBJECT:
"Driving in heavy traffic can be stressful." (The ing-clause "Driving in heavy traffic"
functions as the subject of the sentence.)
EXAMPLE OF AN ING-CLAUSE AS THE OBJECT:
"I enjoy hiking in the mountains." (The ing-clause "hiking in the mountains" functions
as the object of the verb "enjoy.")

ED-PARTICIPLE CLAUSE

Participle clauses are formed by using either the present participle (verbs using
the suffix -ing), past participles (the past tense of a verb), or perfect participles (the
perfect form of a verb). We can use a participle clause when the participle and the
verb in the main clause have the same subject.

EXAMPLE:

• Feeling tired, I had a nap.

• After she had finished the exam, she felt very happy. (time)
• Having finished the exam, she felt very happy.

These types of clauses don't have a specific tense. The tense is decided by the tense
of the verb of the main clause. Participle clauses are most often used in written texts,
such as fiction, rather than in our day-to-day speech. They add more detail and
meaning to the sentence, which is useful for written texts. They also tend to be
perceived as formal, which is why they aren't used in spoken language as often as
they are in written texts.

Gives the reason for an action.

• Realising she'd forgotten her homework, she quickly ran back home.

Gives the result of an action.

 • The runner sprinted across the finish line, leaving his competition in
the dust.

Explains an action that happened at the same time as another action.

• Handing back the map, I admitted we were lost.

Adds information about the subject of the main clause.

• Twinkl makes lots of useful resources, helping those who teach.

SUPPLEMENT CLAUSE

Also known as a nonfinite or verbless clause, is a type of clause that lacks a finite
verb. Instead, it relies on other elements to express its meaning. Supplement clauses
often function as supplements or additions to the main clause, providing additional
information or clarification.

Here are some examples of supplement clauses:

1. Noun clause: - "My hope is that he will succeed." (The supplement clause "that
he will succeed" acts as the complement of the noun "hope.")

2. Adverbial clause: - "She left, without saying goodbye." (The supplement clause
"without saying goodbye" provides additional information about how she left.)

3. Adjective clause: - "The children, eager to play, ran to the park." (The supplement
clause "eager to play" modifies the noun "children.")

4. Prepositional phrase: - "They arrived at the party, in their best clothes." (The
supplement clause "in their best clothes" provides additional information about their
arrival.)

Supplement clauses can enhance the meaning of a sentence by adding further

details or context, even without a finite verb.
VERBLESS CLAUSE

A verbless clause is a clause-like construction in which a verb element is implied but

not present. Such clauses are usually adverbial, and the omitted verb is a form of be.
Also known as a free adjunct (or a free adjunct without a verbal form) and a nominal
sentence.

Observations

"Verbless clauses are clauses which contain no verb element, and often also no
subject. They are regarded as clauses because they function in ways which make
them equivalent to finite and non-finite clauses and because they can be analyzed
in terms of one or more clause elements."
•

EXAMPLES
• 'Good morning', 'happy birthday
• A verbless clause may function as a subject.
• For example: A: Who is speaking? B: The minister of foreign affairs It
can be as an object.
• For instance: A: What did she buy? B: A very nice dress.
• A verbless clause may function as a complement like: A: How do you
feel? B: Much better. (Zidane, 2014)

.
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acref-9780191739538

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spanish/oxford
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