CLAUSES
What Are Clauses?
• A clause is a group of words that includes
a subject and a verb.
A clause can be distinguished from a phrase,
which does not contain a subject and a verb
(e.g., in the afternoon, drinking from the
bowl).
INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT
• An independent clause can express a
complete thought.
• A dependent clause is usually a supporting
part of a sentence.
Examples of Independent Clauses
• Here are some examples of independent
clauses-
• Tara ate a cheese roll after she watched the
news.
• (Tara ate a cheese roll is an independent
clause. It works as a stand alone sentence.)
• Even though his mother was a driving
instructor, my cousin failed his driving test six
times.
Examples of Dependent Clauses
• Here are the same examples with the dependent
clauses –
• Tara ate a cheese roll after she watched the news.
• (The clause after she watched the news is a
dependent clause. It does not work as a
standalone sentence.)
• Even though his mother was a driving instructor,
my cousin failed his driving test six times.
NOTE
• These dependent clauses or subordinate
clauses could have been independent clauses.
• However, the opening word(s) (in these
examples after and Even though) turned them
into dependent clauses.
• The opening words are known as dependent
words, the main type of which
is subordinating conjunctions.
Identify the dependent and independent
clauses.
• If you don't fix the car, IT WILL CONTINUE TO LEAK OIL.
• WHILE THE CAR IS BEING FIXED, we will need to take the
bus.
• It isn't necessary to cram all night IF YOU HAVE STUDIED
A LITTLE EACH
• Before you begin studying for the exam, YOU WILL
PROBABLY WANT TO REST.
• I can't go to the movies SINCE I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
• WHETHER HE ATTENDS THE PARTY OR NOT, I have
decided to go.
How Are Clauses Used in Sentences?
• Clauses can play a variety of roles in
sentences.
• A clause can act as a noun, an adjective or
an adverb.
NOUN CLAUSE
• SUBORDINATE CLAUSE THAT ACTS AS NOUN
IN A SENTENCE.
• IT MAY BE SUBJECT OR OBJECT OF A VERB OR
OBJECT OF PREPOSITION OR IN APPOSITION
TO A NOUN OR A PRONOUN.
NOUN CLAUSE AS SUBJECT OF A VERB
• WHOEVER WINS THE RACE WILL CLAIM THE
PRIZE.
• HERE,
WHOEVER WINS THE RACE IS THE NOUN
CLAUSE ACTING AS A SUBJECT OF THE
SENTENCE.
NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECT OF A VERB
• HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE MEETING
WAS.
• HERE,
WHERE THE MEETING WAS IS A NOUN
CLAUSE ACTING AS THE OBJECT OF THE VERB.
NOUN CLAUSE AS AN OBJECT OF
PREPOSITION.
• THE TEACHER WAS PLEASED WITH HOW
STUDENTS WERE PERFORMING.
• HERE,
HOW STUDENTS WERE PERFORMING IS A
NOUN CLAUSE ACTING AS AN OBJECT OF
PREPOSITION.
Complete the following sentences by adding suitable noun clauses.
1. I cannot understand …………………………
2. They said …………………………
3. I think …………………………
4. He told me …………………………
5. ………………………… hurts me.
Adjective Clause
• The umbrella with a black handle is mine –
Which umbrella?
Here, the principal clause is- The umbrella is
mine.
with a black handle is a group of words that
describe umbrella and does the work of
adjective , it is called adjective phrase.
Adjective Clause
• The umbrella which has a black handle is
mine.
• Here, main clause is - which has a black
handle.
• This second group of words is also doing the
work of an adjective and has a subject and
predicate of its own, it is called adjective
clause.
Adjective Clauses
• My dog, who usually refuses to go near the
water, dived in the canal to chase a water vole.
(In this example, the clause acts like an
adjective.)
• Compare the example above to this:
My water-shy dog dived in the canal to chase
a water vole.
(water-shy = adjective)
NOTE
• If an adjective clause could be removed without wrecking
the sentence (i.e., it just adds additional information), then
it should be offset with commas. (You could equally use
brackets or dashes.)
• A clause which can be safely removed is called a non-
restrictive clause.
• For example : The man ,who lives next door , is getting
ruder.
• A restrictive clause , on the other hand, is one which
cannot be removed because it's essential to the sentence.
Restrictive clauses are not offset with commas.
• For example : The man who lives next door is getting ruder.
Combine the two sentences to make one, using an adjective clause.
For example, "I met Mary in the hall. She is a tour
guide." becomes "I met Mary, who is a tour guide, in
the hall."
• The man was sick. He looked very pale.
• He was sitting in the emergency room. It was very
crowded.
• The nurse called a doctor. He came quickly.
• She gave the man an injection. It made him go to
sleep.
Relative Clauses
• People – The person who entered the room is
Mr. Vivek.
• Things – The notebooks that/which are lying
on the floor are of geography.
• Time- It was the year 1997 when my parents
got married.
• Place- That’s the ground where the match
took place.
Find out the noun clauses in the following
sentences and state what purpose they
serve.
1. The king ordered that the traitor should be
put to death.
2. He said that he would not go.
3. That he is not interested in the offer is
known to us.
4. He said that he was not feeling well.
5. I cannot rely on what he says.
ANSWERS
1. Here the noun clause ‘that the traitor should
be put to death’ is that object of the verb ordered.
2. Here the noun clause ‘that he would not go’ is
the object of the verb said.
3. Here the noun clause ‘that he is not interested
in the offer’ is the subject of the verb is.
4. Here the noun clause ‘that he was not feeling
well’ is the object of the verb said.
5. Here the noun clause ‘what he says’ is the
object of the preposition on.
Combine each of the following pairs of
simple sentences into one complex
sentence containing an adjective clause.
1. The theft was committed last night. The police has caught
the man.
2. The French language is different from the Latin language. Latin
was once spoken throughout Europe.
3. You are looking upset. Can you tell me the reason?
4. He had several plans for making money quickly. All of them
have failed.
5. The landlord was proud of his strength. He despised the
weakness of his tenants.
6. This is the village. I was born here.