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'''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 ==
* 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
** ''phrase'' = a part of a sentence that has two or more words but <u>does not have both a subject and a verb</u>
*** if a sentence part contains a subject and a verb, it is a clause
* note: Santa is not a clause
* sources for clauses:
** [https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/grammar/phrases-clauses-and-sentences/types-of-clauses Types of Clauses (cliffnotes.com)]
** [[http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/lrw/grinker/LwtaClauses__Restrictive_and_Nonrest.htm Clauses - Restrictive and Nonrestrictive (kentlaw.edu)]
*** this source is interesting as it addresses precision in language in terms of court cases and the law
== main or dominant clause ==
* 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
* 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 ===
* ''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:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 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"
</div>
* click EXPAND for example of SVO lists:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 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"
</div>
=== dependent clause ===
* "Dependent Clause" (DC) is a sentence part that contains a subject and a verb but does not complete a thought
* also called "subordinate clause"
** DC clauses are therefore attached to an IC that completes the clause as a complete sentence and/or thought
** DC clauses add information to ''but are not necessary for'' the IC to make sense
* Note: technically, a sentence part that does not contain both a noun and a verb is a phrase
** yet non-IC sentence parts are commonly referred to as "dependent clauses" when they are actually "phrases" if they do not contain a subject + verb
Click EXPAND for examples of DC:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* "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
**** [https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/sentences/participial-phrases.html Participial Phrases (yourdictionary.com)]
**** [https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/gerund-phrase/ gerund-phrase (gingersoftware.com)]
</div>
* see:
** [https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/independent_and_dependent_clauses/index.html Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses (owl.purdue.edu)]
** [https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/difference-between-dependent-independent-clause The Difference Between Dependent and Independent Clauses (merriam-webster.com)]
=== subordinate clause ===
* subordinate clause is another name for a DC
** we usually think of a subordinate clause as one that is formed by adding a subordinating conjunction
** however, technically there are three types of subordinate clauses:
**# adverbial clause: defines 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)
* however, here will think of 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)
=== subordinating conjunction ===
* 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."
* Click here for list of and more on [[Grammar#subordinating_conjunctions (see Grammar entry)]]
=== Relative clause ===
{| class="wikitable"  style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; width:40%"
|+ relative pronouns
! Pronoun !! For !! Rule
|-
| who || people || subject (does the action): ''he, she, we, they''
|-
| whom || people || object (acted upon): ''him, her, us, them''
|-
| whose || people or things || possessive form of whom: ''his, her, us, their''
|-
| that || people or things  || subject or object: adds required information (no punctuation)
|-
| which || things  || subject or object: adds additional information (usually non-restrictive, ie. with a comma)
|-
| colspan="3" | * Source: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/relative-clauses/
|}
* a type of "adjective clause"
* = 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
** ex.
*** "Sue, who is always late, showed up on time."
*** "The PG-13 movie scared me, which was surprising."
* Sources:
** [https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/relative-clauses/ Relative Clauses (unc.edu)]
** [https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/clauses  Grammar: Relative, Restrictive, and Nonrestrictive Clauses (walenu.edu)]
** [https://www.grammarly.com/blog/using-that-and-which-is-all-about-restrictive-and-non-restrictive-clauses/ Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses—What’s the Difference?(grammarly.com)]
** [https://thewordcounter.com/blog-comma-before-which/ Comma before which (thewordcounter.com)]
** [https://www.softschools.com/examples/grammar/essential_and_nonessential_adjective_clauses_examples/81/# Essential and Nonessential Adjective Clauses Examples (softschools.com)]
==== restrictive relative clause ====
* goes by various names: necessary, requisite or defining clause
** technically, also an "adjective clause" since it describes a previously stated (antecedent) noun
* "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"
==== because: when to use a comma ====
* ''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''
==== non-restrictive relative clause ====
* 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 ===
==== adjective clause ====
* = a dependent clause that contains a subject and verb but acts as a modifier or adjective
* see "relative clause"
==== adverbial clause ====
* = 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''
* examples:
** ''I'm staying '''until the park closes'''''
** '''''As my grades sank''', my heart sank, as well''
==== finite and non-finite clauses ====
* refer to types of clauses with verbs that either show or do not show "tense" (past, present future)
** = not an important category, but one that grammarians refer to in the context of "tense"
* a finite clause shows tense and is usually an ICs
** 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:
** ex. Working hard, Jeremiah finished his project on time last night"
* the utility of these
* see https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/clauses-finite-and-non-finite
==== noun clause ====
* = a clause that functions as a thing or idea (nouns)
** ex.: "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"
[[category:grammar]]
[[category:grammar]]
{{Clause (grammar)}}
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