Clauses

Front 1

A clause is a group of words CONTAINING a finite verb.

Back 1

A clause conveys a SINGLE IDEA.
A clause is SENSIBLY ARRANGED within a sentence.
A clause always contains a FINITE VERB

Front 2

Underline the FINITE VERBS and these will tell you HOW MANY CLAUSES there are in each sentence.

Back 2

As the sun WENT down, we LISTENED to the classical music.

The girl, whose name WAS Jane, WAS CHOSEN to be the teacher.

Front 3

Clauses may be classified as:

Back 3

THE MAIN CLAUSE (Independent Clause)

and

THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE (Dependent Clause)

Front 4

THE MAIN CLAUSE (Independent Clause)

Back 4

The Main Clause is the main idea of the sentence.

It is able to stand alone and makes complete sense.

The van CAME to a halt, after it had run out of petrol.

Front 5

THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE (Dependent Clause)

Back 5

This always contains a verb but cannot stand alone.

It is dependent on the Main Clause for its meaning.

A comma often separates the Main Clause from its Subordinate Clause.

While the engine WAS RUNNING, the man jumped out of the car.

Front 6

SUBORDINATE CLAUSES may further be classified as:

Back 6

Noun Clauses

Adjectival Clauses

Adverbial Clauses

Front 7

NOUN CLAUSES

Back 7

Noun Clauses perform the same functions as Nouns. They can be replaced by IT or THAT.

They may be the subject or object of the sentence and answer to WHO or WHAT.

WHAT THEY LEARNT (underlined) AT SCHOOL helped them in the work place.

Front 8

ADJECTIVAL CLAUSES

Back 8

An Adjectival Clause always qualifies a word or words in the Main Clause.

It usually begins with WHO, WHICH, THAT, WHOM and WHOSE.

It is similar to additional information that is found in parenthesis.

The girl WHO HAD (underlined) THE LONGEST HAIR won the beauty competition.

Front 9

ADVERBIAL CLAUSES

Back 9

Adverbial Clauses perform the same functions as Adverbs. They may be classified as follows:

Time (When?) ...when the sun SET
Place (Where?)... where it hung SUSPENDED
Manner (How?) ...as fast as she COULD RUN
Reason (Why?) ...because it WAS RAINING
Concession (though, although and however) ...although the weather WAS THREATENING
Result (so...that) She was SO ill that she WAS HOSPITALISED.
Purpose (so that) ...so that he COULD HAVE a better view
Condition (if, unless) ...if you CHOOSE the correct numbers

Front 10

ADVERBIAL CLAUSES

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 10

Time (When?)

...when the sun SET

Front 11

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 11

Place (Where?)

... where it hung SUSPENDED

Front 12

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 12

Manner (How?)

...as fast as she COULD RUN

Front 13

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 13

Reason (Why?)

...because it WAS RAINING

Front 14

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 14

Concession (though, although and however)

...although the weather WAS THREATENING

Front 15

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 15

Result (so...that)

She was SO ill that she WAS HOSPITALIZED.

Front 16

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 16

Purpose (so that)

...so that he COULD HAVE a better view

Front 17

Perform the same functions as Adverbs.

They may be classified as follows:

Back 17

Condition (if, unless)

...if you CHOOSE the correct numbers

Front 18

Sub ordinate clause (Dependent Clause)

Back 18

A clause, typically introduced by a conjunction, that forms part of and is dependent on a main clause

e.g., “when it rang” in...

Front 19

What is a SUBORDINATE CLAUSE (Dependent Clause)?

Back 19

A subordinate clause—also called a dependent clause—will begin with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun and will contain both a subject and a verb. This combination of words will not form a complete sentence. It will instead make a reader want additional information to finish the thought.

Begin with a subordinate conjunction (Although) or relative pronoun

Will contain both a subject and verb

Sentence will not form complete sentence

Make a reader want additional information to finish thought

Front 20

SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS:

Back 20

after
although
as
because
before
even if
even though
if
in order that once
provided that
rather than
since
so that
than
that
though
unless until
when
whenever
where
whereas
wherever
whether
while
why

Front 21

RELATIVE PRONOUNS:

Back 21

that
which
whichever
who
whoever
whom whose
whosoever
whomever

Front 22

Now take a look at these examples:

Back 22

After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad

After = subordinate conjunction; Amy = subject; sneezed = verb.

Once Adam smashed the spider

Once = subordinate conjunction; Adam = subject; smashed = verb.

Until Mr. Sanchez has his first cup of coffee

Until = subordinate conjunction; Mr. Sanchez = subject; has = verb.

Who ate handfuls of Cheerios with his bare hands

Who = relative pronoun; Who = subject; ate = verb.

Remember this important point: A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence because it does not provide a complete thought. The reader is left wondering, "So what happened?" A word group that begins with a capital letter and ends with a period must contain at least one main clause. Otherwise, you will have written a fragment, a major error.

Front 23

Remember this important point: A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence because it does not provide a complete thought. The reader is left wondering, "So what happened?" A word group that begins with a capital letter and ends with a period must contain at least one main clause. Otherwise, you will have written a fragment, a major error.

Back 23

After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad.

So what happened? Did Amy throw it down the garbage disposal or serve it on toast to her friends? No complete thought = fragment.

Once Adam smashed the spider.

So what happened? Did Belinda cheer him for his bravery or lecture him on animal rights? No complete thought = fragment.

Until Mr. Sanchez has his first cup of coffee.

So what happens? Is he too sleepy to work, or does he have a grumpy disposition? No complete thought = fragment.

Who ate handfuls of Cheerios with his bare hands.

So what happened? Were the roommates shocked, or did they ask him to pass the box so that they could do the same? No complete thought = fragment.

Front 24

Correctly attach a subordinate clause to a main clause.

When you attach a subordinate clause IN FRONT OF A MAIN CLAUSE, use a comma, like this:

Back 24

subordinate clause + , + main clause.

EVEN THOUGH THE BROCCOLI WAS COVERED IN CHEDDAR CHEESE, Emily refused to eat it.

UNLESS CHRISTINE FINISHES HER CALCULUS HOMEWORK, she will have to suffer Mr. Nguyen's wrath in class tomorrow.

WHILE BAILEY SLEPT ON THE SOFA IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION, Samson, the family dog, gnawed on the leg of the coffee table.

Front 25

Correctly attach a subordinate clause to a main clause.

When you attach a subordinate clause AT THE END OF THE MAIN CLAUSE, you will generally use no punctuation, like this:

Back 25

main clause + Ø + subordinate clause.

Tanya did poorly on her history exam Ø BECAUSE HER BEST FRIEND GISELLE INSISTED ON GOSSIPING DURING THEIR STUDY SESSION THE NIGHT BEFORE.

Jonathon spent his class time reading comic books Ø SINCE HIS AVERAGE WAS 45 ONE WEEK BEFORE FINAL EXAMS.

Diane decided to plant tomatoes in the back of the yard Ø WHERE THE SUN BLAZED THE LONGEST DURING THE DAY.

Front 26

Punctuate carefully when the subordinate clause begins with a relative pronoun.

Subordinate clauses can begin with relative pronouns [and thus are called relative clauses, a type of subordinate clause]. When a subordinate clause starts with who, whose, or which, for example, punctuation gets a little bit trickier. Sometimes you will need a comma, and sometimes you won't, depending on whether the clause is essential or nonessential.

Back 26

When the information in the relative clause clarifies an otherwise general noun, the clause is essential and will follow the same pattern that you saw above:

main clause + Ø + essential relative clause.

Nick gave a handful of potato chips to the dog Ø WHO WAS SNIFFING AROUND THE PICNIC TABLES.

Dog is a general noun. Which one are we talking about? The relative clause who was sniffing around the picnic tables clarifies the animal that we mean. The clause is thus essential and requires no punctuation.

Front 27

When a relative clause follows a specific noun, punctuation changes. The information in the relative clause is no longer as important, and the clause becomes nonessential. Nonessential clauses require you to use commas to connect them.

Back 27

main clause + , + nonessential relative clause.

Nick gave a handful of potato chips to Button , WHO WAS SNIFFING AROUND THE PICNIC TABLES.

Button, the name of a unique dog, lets us know which animal we mean. The information in the relative clause is no longer important and needs to be separated from the main clause with a comma.

Front 28

Relative clauses can also interrupt a main clause.

Back 28

When this happens, use no punctuation for an essential clause. If the clause is nonessential, separate it with a comma in front and a comma behind. Take a look at these examples:

After dripping mustard all over his chest, the man Ø WHO WAS WEARING A RED SHIRT Ø wished that he had instead chosen ketchup for his hotdog.

After dripping mustard all over his chest, Charles, WHO WAS WEARING A RED SHIRT, wished that he had instead chosen ketchup for his hotdog.

Front 29

Use subordination to combine ideas effectively.

Writers use subordination to combine two ideas in a single sentence. Read these two simple sentences:

Rhonda gasped. A six-foot snake slithered across the sidewalk.

Back 29

Since the two simple sentences are related, you can combine them to express the action more effectively:

Rhonda gasped WHEN a six-foot snake slithered across the sidewalk.

If the two ideas have unequal importance, save the most important one for the end of the sentence so that your reader remembers it best. If we rewrite the example above so that the two ideas are flipped, the wrong point gets emphasized:

When a six-foot snake slithered across the side walk, Rhonda gasped.

A reader is less concerned with Rhonda's reaction than the presence of a giant snake on the sidewalk!