THE CLAUSE

Topics: Independent and subordinate clauses, sentence structure.

What is a Clause ?

A clause is a word group that contains a verb and its subject and that is used as a sentence or
as part of a sentence.

The Independent clause

An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand by itself as a sentence.

The Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada opposed the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. ( one
Independent clause )

The Subordinate clause

- When talking about subordinate clauses that are used for clarification in formal writing,
dependent clauses are used to ensure that the reader understands your meaning (
clarification ).

A subordinate clause (dependent clause ) does not express a complete thought and cannot
stand by itself as a sentence. Incomplete doesn't mean without s and v.

Whoever knows the song

Which always pleases my mother
As we were singing

- The meaning of a subordinate clause becomes clear only when the clause is combined with an
independent clause.

Whoever (s) knows (v) the song may join in. note that the s and v does not disappear.

We sang “ We shall Overcome,” which ( used as a relative pronoun referring to the song
, s ) always pleases (v) my mother.
As we ( s) were singing ( vp) , we joined hands and formed a circle.

The Adjective Clause

An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun.

An adjective usually follows the word or words it modifies and tells us what kind or which one.

The report that Diego wrote was on the Battle of the Little Bighorn. ( the adjective clause
modifiers the noun report. )

Amanda is someone whom ( relative pronoun) and also (s) I admire. ( The adjective clause
modifies the pronoun someone ).

- Relative Pronouns

An adjective clause is usually introduced by a relative pronoun- a word that relates the clause to
the word or words the clause modifies.

Has three functions :

1. It refers to a preceding noun or pronoun- the antecedent

2. It connects the adjective clause with the rest of the sentence.
3. It performs a function within its own clause by serving as a subject, a direct object, an
indirect object, an object of a preposition, or a modifier in the adjective clause.

Mr. Mendoza is a good counselor who never betrays confidence. ( The relative pronoun who
relates the adjective clause to the adjective antecedent, counselor, and serves as the subject of
the verb betrays. )

Have you practiced the speech that you will give on Friday ? ( the relative pronoun that
relates the adjective clause to the noun antecedent, speech, and serves as the direct object of
the verb will give. )
The mariachi band in which I play once performed for Governor Tommy Thompson. ( The
relative pronoun which relates the adjective clause to the noun antecedent, band, and serves as
the object of the preposition in )

To modify a time or place, an adjective, clause may be introduced by a relative adverb, such as
when or where.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., dreamed of the day when freedom and justice would reign in the
United States. ( The relative adverb when relates the adjective clause to the pronoun
antecedent, one, and modifies the noun essay by showing possession.)

= sometimes the relative pronoun is not expressed.

Do you remember the first time ( when) we met each other ? .

The Noun Clause

A noun clause is a subordinate clause that is used as a noun.

A noun clause may be used as a subject, a predicate nominative, a direct object, an object of a
preposition, or an appositive.

SUBJECT = How students can apply for college loans was the speaker’s topic.

PREDICATE NOMINATIVE = My suggestion is that we all meet again tomorrow.

DIRECT OBJECT= I wonder Whether Columbus was truly the first European to explore the
Americas.

INDIRECT OBJECT= Mrs. Romero offers whoever completes additional assignments extra
credit.

OBJECT PREP= Write your research paper about whomever you admire most.

APPOSITIVE = Copernicus’s theory that the sun, not the earth, is the center of our solar
system was rejected at the time
The Adverb Clause

An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, and adj, or and adv.

An adverb clause tell how, how much, when , where, why, to what extent, or under what
conditions.

Subordinating conjunctions

An adverb claus is introduced by a subordinating conjunction- a word or word group that shows
the relationship between the adverb clause and the word or words that the clause modifies.

After, although, as, as if, as long as, as soon as, as though, because, before, if , in order that,
provided that, since, so that, than, though, unles, until, when, whenever, where, wherever,
whether, while.

Sentence According to Structure.

1 Simple sentence = independent clause and no subordinate clauses.

2. Compound sentence = contains two or more independent clauses and no subordinate

clauses. Coordinating conjunctions

3. Complex sentence= one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause.

4. Compound- complex sentence = contains two or more independent clauses and at least
one subordinate clause.
PHRASES

Prepositional phrases

They will have an obj of prep, which are nouns and pronouns.

Prep phrases can either serve as adj by modifying nouns and pronouns, or as an adverb
modifying adj, ver, or another adv.

VERBALS

A verbal is a verb form that is used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

Verbal phrases consist of a verbal and its modifiers with complements.

Participial , gerund, infinitive - phrases

The participle

Verb can be used as an adjective The freezing rain

The participle phrase

Used as adj.
A participial phrase consists of a participle and its modifiers with complements.

Most participles end in ing , or end

Grinning broadly

The gerund

Verb that ends in ing used as a noun

In answering. Please stop whispering. The issue is his whining.

Gerund phrase used as the noun.

Managing the restaurant efficiently required much hard work.
The infinitive

To + verb used as noun, adjective, or an adverb.

Infinitive phrase

Consists of an infinitive and its modifiers and complements. The entire phrase used as n, adj,
and adv.

Appositive and Appositive Phrases

An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to describe it.