Clause (grammar)
Clause
- = a part of a sentence that has a subject and a verb
- and may or may not be a complete sentence or thought
What a clause is and is not[edit | edit source]
- a clause is part of a sentence
- a sentence is a grammatically correct and complete thought
- i.e., it contains a subject and a verb and completes a thought
- ex. "I go." = a sentence bc it contains and subject and verb and completes a thought
- whereas, "I send" contains a subject and verb but is not a complete thought
- "send" is a transitive verb that requires an object, as in "I send a letter"
- a sentence may contain one or more clauses
- i.e., it contains a subject and a verb and completes a thought
- phrase = a part of a sentence that has two or more words but does not have both a subject and a verb
- if a sentence part contains a subject and a verb, it is a clause
- a sentence is a grammatically correct and complete thought
- note: Santa is not a clause
Description | Grammatical unit | Is a clause | Is not a clause |
---|---|---|---|
a grammatically complete thought without another clause | Sentence | ✘ | |
a grammatically complete thought that is part of a larger sentence that contains another clause | independent clause | ✓ | |
the main clause of a sentence is | independent clause | ✓ | |
two independent clauses combined by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) | coordinate clauses (both independent) | ✓ | |
a part of a sentence that contains a subject & a verb but is not a complete thought | dependent clause | ✓ | |
a part of a sentence that contains two or more words but does not have both a subject & verb (not a finite verb) | phrase | ✘ | |
Rides a sleigh driven by reindeer through the air to deliver Christmas presents | proper noun | ✘ |
- sources for clauses:
- Types of Clauses (cliffnotes.com)
- [Clauses - Restrictive and Nonrestrictive (kentlaw.edu)
- this source is interesting as it addresses precision in language in terms of the law and court cases
- (Clauses: Definition, Types & Examples (learngrammar.net)
main or dominant clause[edit | edit source]
- main or dominant clause = an IC (independent clause)
- the "main" clause is the clause the creates the "main idea" of the sentence
- = that part of the sentence that makes the complete and most important, or "dominant" thought of the phrase
- i.e., the main clause or part of the sentence that states its primary purpose or idea
- everything else is additional information
- = that part of the sentence that makes the complete and most important, or "dominant" thought of the phrase
- for the SAT test, the "dominant /main clause" is that core idea of a sentence that is the focus of the sentence
- SAT tests measure #Emphasis shift
- emphasis shift measures if the correct form of the sentence "emphasizes" the core or main idea of the sentence
- passive voice de-emphasizes the dominant clause
- i.e. OBJECT VERB SUBJECT
- dominant /main clauses employ direct voice, i.e. SVO
independent clause[edit | edit source]
- Independent Clause (IC)
- = a sentence part that can stand as a complete sentence and thought
- it is a clause because it is attached to or has another clause/s attached to it (otherwise it'd just be a sentence)
- IC contains SUBJECT + VERB at a minimum (SV)
- IC usually contains SUBJECT VERB OBJECT (SVO)
- since SUBJECT VERB OBJECT form the core of a sentence there is no punctuation separating them, with the following exceptions:
- parenthetical information (commas, dashes and parentheses) can separate SVO from each other
- i.e., S (parenthetical info) V (parenthetical info) O
- click EXPAND for examples of parenthetical separation of S from V and O:
- parentheses: S (parenthetical info) V (parenthetical info) O
- commas: S, parenthetical info, V, parenthetical info, O
- dashes: S -- parenthetical info -- V -- parenthetical info -- O
- ex. "Alex, an experienced pilot, landed the plane expertly."
- S= Alex V= landed O= plane
- other parenthetical punctuation:
- "Alex (an experienced pilot) landed the plane expertly."
- "Alex -- an experienced pilot -- landed the plane expertly."
- two commas, two dashes or two parentheses = parenthetical phrase
- ex. Alex, and experienced pilot, landed, for the second time that day, the plane expertly.
- this is an awkward sentence but using it here to demonstrate how commas can separate a SUBJECT VERB OBJECT if used parenthetically
- compare this construction:
- "Alex, an experienced pilot, landed the plane expertly." to:
- "The experienced pilot, Alex, landed the plane expertly"
- "The experienced pilot Alex landed the plane expertly"
- each form creates a different emphasis
- in this case, the parenthetical construction emphasizes that it was Alex who landed the plane and that
- if, for example, Alex was an inexperienced pilot, we might prefer a construction that emphasizes it, so,
- instead of, "Alex, an inexperienced pilot, landed the plane expertly."
- we might say, "The inexperienced pilot, Alex, landed the plane expertly" or "The inexperienced pilot Alex landed the plane expertly"
- ex. Alex, and experienced pilot, landed, for the second time that day, the plane expertly.
- click EXPAND for example of SVO lists:
- S, S V O
- S, S and S V and V O
- S, S and S V, and V O
- S, S and S V, V and V O and O
- S, S and S V, V and V O, O and O
- note that with commas that separate a subject, verb, and/or object the final word in the list must not be separated from the related S V or O
- ex.
- "Alex, Nia, and Joan are all experienced pilots"
- "Alex, Nia, and Joan relied on, used, and proved their skills by landing their planes expertly"
dependent clause[edit | edit source]
- "Dependent Clause" (DC) is a sentence part that contains a subject and a verb but does not complete a thought
- also called "subordinate clause" (see below)
- DC clauses are attached to an IC
- DC clauses add information to but are not necessary for the IC to make sense
- Note: a sentence part that does not contain both a noun and a verb is a phrase
- yet some sources call non-IC sentence parts "dependent clauses" when they are actually "phrases" since they do not contain a subject + verb
- types of DC:
- subordinate clause: an IC that has been "subordinated" into a DC by a "subordinating conjunction"
- adverb or adverbial clause: a subordinate clause that specifically modifies a verb, usually in terms of time, duration, extent, or condition (if)
- noun clause: acts as a noun
- relative clause: acts as an adjective to define a noun; can be restrictive or non-restrictive (see below)
Click EXPAND for examples of DC:
- "Since I ate breakfast late, I'll skip lunch"
- "Since I ate" = an incomplete thought and so not an IC
- example of a phrase that is not a clause as it does not contain a verb:
- "Going to the store, I realized I left my wallet at home."
- going = an -ing verb acting as a modifier or adjective and known as a "participal"
- therefore, "going to the store" = a "participial phrase" and is not a DC
- see
- "Going to the store, I realized I left my wallet at home."
- Dependent clauses are introduced by a "dependent word"
Type of Dependent Clause | Dependent word | Dependent word type |
---|---|---|
Subordinate or Adverb clause | after, although, since, etc. | subordinating conjunction (adverb) |
Relative clause | that, which, who, whom, whose | relative pronoun |
Noun clause | that, what, whatever, who, whoever | pronoun |
- see:
subordinate clause[edit | edit source]
- a clause that is formed by adding a subordinating conjunction
- which "subordinates" or turns an IC clause into a dependent clause
- some sources refer to all dependent clauses as "subordinate clauses"
- in the sense that a subordinate clause is "subordinate" to an independent clause
- here will refer to subordinate clauses as those that add additional and not required, or requisite, information to the main clause
- in this sense, subordinate clauses are preceded by "subordinating conjunctions" (see below)
- note also that "adverb clauses" are subordinate clauses
subordinating conjunction[edit | edit source]
after although as as if as long as as much as as though because before by the time even even if even though |
if if only if when if then in case in order to just just as now now that |
once provided that rather than since so that supposing than though till unless |
when whenever were whereas where if whenever wherever whether while whose whoever why |
note: that, which and who are relative pronouns that can act as subordinating conjunctions in some cases |
- subordinating conjunction "subordinates" an IC into a DC
- i.e, (SC) renders or turns an IC into a DC
- the reason is the the SC creates the need for additional information after the SVO
- ex. "I love baseball" = a complete sentence and thought
- by adding a SC to the sentence, it is no longer a complete thought:
- ex. "Since I love baseball"
- "Since" = SC and it "subordinates the IC "I love baseball" by creating the need for additional information in order to complete the thought:
- "Since I love baseball, I watch it every chance I get."
relative or "adjective" clause[edit | edit source]
- = a dependent clause that contains a subject-verb, but provides additional information and is not a complete sentence of thought by itself
- the "subject" of the clause is a pronoun (thus "relative," as pronouns relate to a noun)
- relative clauses are introduced by a relative pronoun (see table)
- relative clauses can be either restrictive or non-restrictive, per below
Pronoun | For | Rule |
---|---|---|
that | people or things | - subject or object: adds required information (restrictive, so no punctuation)
- acts as the subject of the relative clause |
what | things | - object (acted upon) |
which | things | - subject or object: adds additional information (can be restrictive or non-restrictive)
- acts as the subject of the relative clause |
who | people | subject (does the action): he, she, we, they (restrictive, so no punctuation)
- acts as the subject of the relative clause |
whoever | people | - subject or object of the relative clause |
whom | people | - object (acted upon): him, her, us, them
- creates but is not the subject of the relative clause |
whose | people or things | possessive form of whom: his, her, us, their |
* Source: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/relative-clauses/ |
- ex.
- "Sue, who is always late, showed up on time."
- "The PG-13 movie scared me, which was surprising."
- ex.
- restrictive relative clauses can be replaced by an adjective:
- The thing that scares me about horror movies is the suspense
- (relative clause in bold)
- is equivalent to
- The scary thing about horror movies is the suspense
- (adjective in bold)
- The scary thing about horror movies is the suspense
- the choice to use the restrictive relative clause or an adjective depends upon the extent the writer wishes to emphasize the action (verb) in the relative clause
- The thing that scares me about horror movies is the suspense
- Sources:
restrictive relative clause[edit | edit source]
- goes by various names: adjective, necessary, requisite or defining clause
- "adjective clause" since it describes a previously stated (antecedent) noun or idea
- "necessary" or "requisite" = the idea is the clause or phrase is necessary
- "defining" = the meaning of the sentence is defined by the clause
- or: the sentence is not a complete thought without the clause
- restrictive clauses are not separated by punctuation
- i.e.: since the information is necessary, there is no pause
- ex.: "Glue that sticks to both my fingers and the paper is a pain"
- vs. "Glue, that sticks to both my fingers and the paper, is a pain"
- since the parenthetical phrase is "non-defining" (can be removed), that would leave us with only "Glue is a pain" which lacks the defining information as to what type of glue is a pain, the kind "that sticks to both my fingers and the paper"
- "Dogs that are friendly are nice"
- that are friendly is restrictive because the sentence would otherwise be "Dogs are nice"
- by adding that are friendly, we have necessary information to make a meaningful sentence
- that are friendly is restrictive because the sentence would otherwise be "Dogs are nice"
- vs. "Glue, that sticks to both my fingers and the paper, is a pain"
- non-restrictive clauses do not change the meaning of the sentence:
- "Friendly dogs, which I like, are nice"
- the main clause, 'Friendly dogs are nice" is meaning.
- adding "which I like" does not change the meaning of the sentence
- the main clause, 'Friendly dogs are nice" is meaning.
- "Friendly dogs, which I like, are nice"
because: when to use a comma[edit | edit source]
- because is a subordinating conjunction and not a relative pronoun
- normally, a subordinate clause preceding the main clause would be separated by a comma:
- Because it rained, we stayed inside"
- and, normally, a subordinate clause following the main clause would not be separated by a comma:
- We stayed inside because it rained
- the reason is because the subordinate clause is requisite (necessary) information
- however, there are times with the subordinate clause starting with because and following the main (independent) clause can be separated by a comma
- if the information following the because is distinct and not directly explanatory (normally, "because" offers an explanation, making it requisite)
- ex. We didn't play in the rain, because Mom said we might catch a cold
- here, the speaker may wish for the subordinate clause following "because" to offer additional and not requisite information
- other examples of because preceded by a comma:
- Even if it's scary, don't close your eyes, because you'll miss the best part!
- Playing tennis is fun, because it means the weather is good
- normally, a subordinate clause preceding the main clause would be separated by a comma:
non-restrictive relative clause[edit | edit source]
- or "Non-defining relative clause"
- or "non-essential" clause
- = the additional information added by the clause is not necessary (or essential) for a complete sentence or thought
- ex.: "Glue, which I hate to use, always sticks to my hands."
- "which I hate to use" is not essential to the idea that "Glue always sticks to my hands"
- see Restrictive relative clauses for sources
Other types of clauses[edit | edit source]
adjective clause[edit | edit source]
- = a dependent clause that contains a subject and verb but acts as a modifier or adjective
- see "relative clause"
adverb clause (or adverbial clause)[edit | edit source]
- = a subordinate clause created by a subordinating conjunction and adding information to the action of a sentence:
- adverbial clauses define or add information as to how, how much, when, where, why (cause/effect):
- examples:
- I'm staying until the park closes
- As my grades sank, my heart sank, as well
- I will bring my umbrella since it is raining
- I got a good grade because I studied hard
- adjunct v. disjuncts
- adjuncts are integrated in a phrase or clause
- disjuncts are peripheral (outside or, or on the edge of)
- adjuncts are integrated in a phrase or clause
finite and non-finite clauses[edit | edit source]
- distinguishes between clauses with finite verbs (subject-verb) and those with an implied but not present verb (represented by a non-finite verb)
- the verbs in a finite clause show tense (as would any finite verb)
- the verbs in a non-finite clause do not show tense (as with a non-finite verb)
- by "tense" we mean its conjugation
- the non-finite verb will be in the simple present
- ex. A streetcar named 'Desire' is not necessarily the one you want to take
- by "tense" we mean its conjugation
- grammarians refer to these clauses in the context of "tense"
- a finite clause shows tense and is usually an IC
- ex. "Trey sent that text yesterday"
- non-finite clause does not show tense and is usually a DC
- non-finite clause adds information to the main clause (IC), but without marking "tense" (past, present or future)
- it is the IC that shows the tense:
- "She watched the little girl play with a hoolahoop"
- "She watched" = finite-clause
- "little girl play with a hoolahoop" = non-finite clause
- note that this non-finite clause may also be expressed as a participial phrase:
- "She watched the little girl playing with a hoolahoop"
- (which also creates a potential misplaced modifier, as in this case it becomes unclear who was "playing with the hoolahop, "she" (who watched) or the "girl"
- "She watched the little girl playing with a hoolahoop"
- "She watched the little girl play with a hoolahoop"
- it is the IC that shows the tense:
- non-finite clause adds information to the main clause (IC), but without marking "tense" (past, present or future)
- for more:
noun clause[edit | edit source]
- = a clause that functions as a thing or idea (noun)
- = usually introduced by what, when, where, wherever, who, whoever
- = a clause that acts as a subject, object, subject complement or object of a preposition, ex.:
- subject: "What I love to eat the most is steak"
- "What I love to eat the most" = a clause that operates as the subject to the verb "is"
- "Wherever we end up is fine with me"
- subject complement or object:
- "The teacher liked what Johnny said"
- "I taught whoever would listen"
- preposition:
- "She recognized him for who he really is"
- "Saddened by what he read, he cried"
- "He was startled by what she said"
- "for" and "by" = prepositions, so the noun clause is the object of the preposition
- subject: "What I love to eat the most is steak"
- pronouns introducing noun clause
- pronouns such as that, who, whoever, can introduce a noun clause
- whereas "that" and "who" would be a relative pronoun, introducing a relative clause
- if it creates a clause that acts as a noun and not an adjective, it is a noun clause
- ex.:
- Whoever wants it the most gets it
- [noun clause=subject ] verb
- note the difference between "who" and "whoever" in these sentences:
- Jesus saves him who believes
- "who believes" = relative or adjective clause that describes "him"
- Jesus saves whoever believes
- "whoever believes" = noun clause acting as direct object of "saves"
- Jesus saves him who believes
- such noun clauses can also be used in "apposition"
- appositive = a noun phrase that describes another noun or sentence part
- so the "apposition" essentially provides a definition or example
- Mr. Jones, a farmer, hates rabbits
- "a farmer" = a noun phrase that tells us who is Mr. Jones
- George Washington, the first president, lived in Virginia
- Mr. Jones, a farmer, hates rabbits
- so the "apposition" essentially provides a definition or example
- using the pronoun "that'
- appositive = a noun phrase that describes another noun or sentence part
- see
- Using Noun Clauses as Appositives (Parenting Patch)
- note that this article provides examples of a noun clause within a preposition are incorrect:
- such as, My decision, for you to leave the day after us, stands.
- "for" is a preposition and "to leave" is an infinitive, so this is not a clause
- "for you" is a prepositional phrase
- that is further modified by the infinitive adjective "to leave" and its object, "the day after us"
- "for" is a preposition and "to leave" is an infinitive, so this is not a clause
- Using Noun Clauses as Appositives (Parenting Patch)
- pronouns such as that, who, whoever, can introduce a noun clause