CLAUSES
MR. ALBANIE M. CABUGATAN, LPT
INSTRUCTOR
WHAT IS A CLAUSE?
A clause is a group of related words with both a subject and a
verb. You might ask, “Well, isn’t that a sentence?” Sometimes. Some
clauses are complete sentences, but others are not. There are two main
types of clauses: dependent clauses (otherwise known as subordinate
clauses) and independent clauses, otherwise known as sentences.
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
An independent clause can stand on its own; in other words, it is
a sentence. One independent clause equals one simple sentence. It
has a subject and a verb, and it may also have objects and phrases. It
may have more than one subject or more than one verb.
Here are examples of two different independent clauses. One is
very short and the other very long. However, they are both just one
independent clause each.
•She spoke.
•She spoke loudly to the class, trying to be heard over the noise.
SUBORDINATE (DEPENDENT) CLAUSE
A subordinate clause has both a subject and a verb, yet it cannot
stand alone as a sentence. Here are some examples of subordinate
clauses:
Here are some examples of subordinate clauses:
•because I am working late (subject is I and verb is am working)
•after we come home from vacation (subject is we and verb is come)
•whenever we go to the movies (subject is we and verb is go)
•which is the last movie I saw (subject is which and verb is is)
•who is my best friend (not a question: subject is who and verb is is)
•whom you are talking to (subject is you and verb is are talking)
Notice that in the first three examples, you could take the first word
away and you would have a sentence. However, that first word is part of the
clause and indicates that more information is needed. There is more that
needs to be added to the thought. Now, let’s add some words to those
subordinate clauses (sometimes called sentence fragments) to make them
complete sentences.
Look at the words we added to
•Because I am working late, I will miss dinner. each subordinate clause to
•We will unpack after we come home from vacation. make it a sentence. What did
•Whenever we go to the movies, you want to sit in the we add? Yes, we added an
back row. independent clause (a complete
•I loved Blue Jasmine, which is the last movie I saw. sentence) to each one. You
•Jim, who is my best friend, just moved to Oregon. wouldn’t have a complete
•I don’t know whom you are talking to. sentence in the subordinate
clauses because every
sentence must contain at least
one independent clause.
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
One type of subordinate clause is an adjective clause. Here are a few
things about adjective clauses:
• They function as adjectives in the sentence, modifying a noun or pronoun.
• They are always in the middle or at the end of the sentence. They do not
begin sentences.
• Sometimes they are essential to the meaning of the sentence and are not
set within commas, but sometimes they are additional information and, in that
case, are enclosed in commas.
• They begin with relative pronouns. They are who, whom, whose, which,
and that.
Here are some sentences containing adjective clauses:
•This is my neighbor who owns six dogs. (clause describes neighbor)
•My boss, whom I really respect, just won a national award. (clause
describes boss)
•This is the book that I read last week. (clause describes book)
ADVERB CLAUSE
Here are a few things about adverb clauses:
• They function as adverbs in the sentence, usually modifying a verb.
• They can be at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence.
• When they begin a sentence, they are followed by a comma. When they are
at the end of a sentence, they are usually not preceded by a comma.
• They begin with the words that are called subordinating conjunctions.
Here are some of the more common subordinating conjunctions:
because although if since
until whenever wherever before after
Here are some examples of sentences with adverb clauses:
•Because I got home late, I missed the TV program.
•Although I got paid today, I spent all my money!
•If I finish my work early enough, I can go with you.
•It has been a week since I returned from my vacation.
•I won’t be home until I finish the speaking tour.
•Whenever I work late, I end up staying up too late.
•I will follow you wherever you go.
•Before I pay for the trip, I need to check my calendar.
•I will pay for the trip after I check my calendar.
✎ Notice two things about the examples above.
First, when the clause comes at the beginning of the sentence, we
have used a comma after it. However, when the clause is at the end, we don’t
use a comma before it. All of those sentences can be flipped around and the
clauses put in the opposite place. If you say the sentences out loud, you will
probably pause where the commas are and not pause in the sentences where
there are no commas.
The second thing to notice is that some of the subordinating
conjunctions are often other parts of speech, namely prepositions. As we said
before, a word can function as more than one part of speech (but only one
part of speech at a time), depending on its use in the sentence. Until, since,
before, and after can also be prepositions. If they are followed by an article
(sometimes) and a noun or pronoun, they are prepositions. If they are
followed by a subject and a verb, they are subordinating conjunctions that
introduce an adverb clause.
Notice the differences:
• After I check my calendar (clause)
• After school (prepositional phrase)
• Before I pay for the trip (clause)
• Before the game (prepositional phrase)
• Until I finish the speaking tour (clause)
• Until last night (prepositional phase)
• Since I returned from my vacation (clause)
• Since last night (prepositional phrase)
N O U N C L AU S E
Noun clauses, like nouns, function as subjects or objects in a
sentence.
Whoever comes to the party will get a gift. (The clause is the subject, and
will get is the verb.
Note that you can substitute a noun or pronoun for the clause and it still
makes sense (for example, Joe will get a gift). (Note also that the clause
itself has a subject and a verb as all clauses do: The subject is whoever,
and the verb is comes. However, the clause as a whole is the subject of the
sentence, and the main verb in the sentence is will get.)
Here is an example where the noun clause is the direct object in the
sentence.
I know who you are. (I know what? who you are. The subject of the clause is
you, and the verb is are; the subject of the sentence itself is I, and the verb is
know.)
Here is an example where the noun clause is the object of the preposition.
I gave the books to whoever wanted them. (The subject of the clause is
whoever, and the verb is wanted. The entire clause is the object of the
preposition to. The subject of the entire sentence is I, and the verb is gave.)