Clauses-A5

Week 1-3-Clauses: Main and Subordinate Clauses


 * I. Clauses and Phrases**

1.What is the difference between a **clause** and a **phrase**?

A. Definition of a **clause**:a group of words consisting of a subject and its predicate. A clause usually contains a verb and may or may not be a sentence in its own right.

1. Examples: (Clauses are bold-faced)

a. **Hiranya swims** in the pool.

b. **Sharks eat** raw fish.

c. **Maggie watches** scary movies.

B. Definition of a **phrase**:a string of words that form a grammatical unit, usually within a clause or sentence

1. Examples: (Phrases are bold-faced)

a. Jimbo went **to the store** around the corner.

b. Lindsey the horse jumped **over the fence**.

c. **The students** weren't willing to do it again.


 * II. Main (Independent) Clause**

1. What is a **main** **clause**?

Definition: a clause that can stand alone as a sentence, containing a subject and a predicate with a finite verb

Examples: (main clauses are bold-faced)

a. **I was there** when they arrived.

b. **We saw them** as they came through the door.

c. **She ate the apple** while they started to come in.

2. How many **main clauses** do I need in each sentence?

Answer: Every sentence has to have at lease one main clause, but may have multiple main clauses in the sentence.

Examples:

a. **Batman had captured the villian**, and later that night **he stopped a robbery**.

b. **We went trick-or-treating** and **we danced** the night away.

c. When **we went to the club**, **we saw all our friends** dancing to the rocking music.

3. What is a **sentence fragment**?

Definition: Fragments are incomplete sentences. Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have become disconnected from the main clause.

Examples:

a. Toys of Batman dolls thrown everywhere.

b. Because I don't like it.

c. For doing other work in that class got Bob detention.


 * III. Subordinate (Dependent) Clause**

1. What is a **subordinate clause**?

Definition: a clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb

Examples: (subordinate clauses are bold-faced)

a. **When Tom went to school**, we had to take a math test.

b. **Because the daughter was grounded**, she couldn't go to the party.

c. Fred wanted to play tennis **because he was lonely.**

2. What is a **subordinating conjunction**?

Definition:Indicates the nature of the relationship among the independent clause(s) and the dependent clause(s).

Examples: (subordinating conjunctions are bold-faced)

a. Before Harry met Sally, he was shy.

b. Since we are not playing today, we should study.

c. When we were little, we could ask for anything from our parents.

3. What is a **relative pronoun**?

Definition: a pronoun that introduces a relative clause referring to some antecedent

Examples: (relative pronouns are bold-faced)

a. You may invite **whomever** you like to the party.

b. The candidate **who** wins the greatest popular vote is not always elected.

c. **Whoever** broke the window will have to replace it.


 * IV. Noun Clauses, Adjective Clauses, Adverb Clauses**

1. What is a **noun clause**?

Definition:It is an entire clause which takes the place of a noun in another clause or phrase.

Examples: (noun clauses are bold-faced)

a. **Whoever broke** **that vase** has to pay for it.

b. The team hopes **that their project will win**.

c. Jenny hopes **to lose ten pounds**.

2. What is an a**djective clause**?

Definition:It is a dependent clause which takes the place of an adjective in another clause or phrase

Examples: (adjective clauses are bold-faced)

a. Grandma made a pie **which was real good.**

b. Jenny was very clever **which was how she got that A+ on her math test**.

c. The meat **which they ate** was tainted.

3. What is an **adverb clause**?

Definition:It is a dependent clause which takes the place of an adverb in another clause or phrase

Examples: (adverb clauses are bold-faced)

a. The mayor started his speech **when everyone clamed down**.

b. **If Jimmy's parents co-operate**, he might get actually get a raise on his allowance.

c. The car was on fire **after they pulled her** body out.

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/claustyp.html

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_clause.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/pronouns.html