Chapter Four

Lesson 1 Kinds of Clauses

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.
Your genes carry your family’s genetic history.
Subject Verb

Independent Clauses
An independent (or main) clause expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence.

Genes contain the code for your physical appearance.

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

Subordinate Clauses
A subordinate (or dependent) clause contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete
thought. It cannot stand alone. Subordinate clauses may be introduced by words like it, because, even
though, how, what, why, that, while, when, and since.

That determines your height.

SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
Because inherited traits often skip a generation.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

To express a complete thought, a subordinate clause must be combined with, or part of, an independent
clause.

Genes contain the code that determines your height.

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

Because inherited traits often skip a generation, you may resemble your grandparents more than your
parents.

Practice and Apply

1. Independent
2. Subordinate
3. Subordinate
4. Subordinate
5. Independent
6. Subordinate
7. Independent
8. Subordinate
9. Independent
10. Subordinate
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Lesson 2 Adjective and Adverb Clauses

Adjective Clauses
An adjective clause is a subordinate clause tht is used as an adjective to
modify a noun or pronoun.
It usually follows the word(s) it modifies. Like adjectives, these clauses answer the questions which one,
what kind, how much, or how many.

A family is more than a group of people who are related.

It was she who started our family tree.

An adjective clause is introduced by a relative pronoun or by a relative adverb. These words are called
relative because they relate adjective clauses the words they modify.

Words That Introduce Adjective Clauses

Relative pronouns Who, whom, whose, that, which
Relative adverbs When, where, why
Families may also include foster children and people who are adopted.

Some people still live in a hunter-gatherer society, where a “family” may have 20 to 200 members.

Essential and Nonessential Adjective Clauses

An essential adjective clause provides information that is essential, or necessary, to identify the
preceding noun or pronoun.

Someone who is your first cousin is the child of your uncle or aunt.

A nonessential adjective clause adds information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence in which the
meaning is already clear. The clause can be dropped without changing the sentence’s meaning.

Irene, who is your first cousin, was married last fall.

Irene was married last fall. (meaning is still clear)

That is used to introduce an essential clause.

The reception was held at a hotel that looks like a castle.

Which is used to introduce a nonessential clause.

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The Clarmont Hotel, which looks like a castle, is 100 years old.

Adverb Clauses
An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. It may come
before or after the word it modifies. Like adverbs, the clauses tell where, why, how, when, or to what
degree something was done.

Most children leave home when the time is right.

Many young adults think a career is important because it helps them to become independent.

Many are marrying later in life than their parents did.

Commonly used Subordinating Conjunctions

After Because unless
Although Even though until
As If where
As if Since wherever
As long as So that when
As soon as Than whenever
Although Though why

When you marry, your spouse’s family becomes part of your family “in law.”

You gain a second mother and father even though you are not related by blood.

An adverb clause is set off by a comma when it becomes before the independent clause.

Concept Checks
1. Humans aren’t the only ones who have family trees.
2. The crash-test dummy family line started in 1949 when the U.S. Army Air Force bought the first Sierra
Sam.
3. Sam was used in ejection seat tests that the army ran.
4. The Sams had sensors so their crashers could be recorded.These dummies were used to test anything that
humans could ride, like cars, roller coasters, airplanes, and tanks.
5. When testers needed more models, Sam’s family expanded to include Stan, Saul, Sue, Susie, and Sammy.
6. The later Hybrid II dummy worked better than Sierra Sam because it had more flexibility.
7. Crash dummies Larry and Vince, whose TV ads promoted seat belt safety, were probably Hybrid II
descendants.
8. The 1976 Hybrid III line was developed because the auto industry needed more accurate crash-test
results.
9. Recent additions to the family tree include infant and child dummies that are used to test problems with
airbags.
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Lesson 3 Noun Clauses

A noun clause is a subordinate clause used as a noun. A noun clause can serve
the same function as a noun in a sentence.

That my brothers and sisters influence me is obvious.

Subject

They know exactly what drives me crazy.

Direct Object

My parents tell whoever is loudest to quiet down.

Indirect Object

My sister’s or brother’s praise is also what inspires me.

Predicate Nominative

We encourage each other in whatever ways we can.

Object of a Preposition

Words that Introduce Noun Clauses

A noun clause can be introduced by a subordinating conjunction or by a pronoun. The chart below lists
the most common words that introduce noun clauses.

Words Used to Introduce Noun Clauses

Subordinating conjunctions That, how, when, where, whether, why

Pronouns What, whatever, who, whom, whoever,

whomever, which, whichever
How much brothers and sisters argue depends on their ages.

You usually argue most with whoever is closest to your age.

Sometimes, the introductory word in a noun clause is omitted. However, you can still substitute
someone or something for the clause to determine whether it is a noun clause.

Most experts say (that) many brothers and sisters become close later in life.

Most experts say something.

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Concept Checks
A.
1. That birth order influences personality is an intriguing idea. s
2. Some evidence shows that first-born children tend to be more conservative and traditional.
do
3. Yet this fact doesn’t explain why many of the greatest inventors are first-born children. do
4. Whichever child is born in the middle may become a good negotiator. s
5. These negotiating skills could be useful in whatever career the person chooses later. op
6. Why the youngest ones are usually risk takers is not hard to understand. s
7. Parents may give whoever is the youngest more freedom. do
8. Therefore, how parents treat each child also strongly influences personality. s
9. People’s self images should not be defined by what some experts say about birth order.op
10. Regardless of birth order, people can be whoever they want to be. Do
B.
1. That its easier to share with others
2. Whoever is an only child
3. That its easier to share with others
4. How much they talk with adults
5. Whichever expert you read
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Lesson Four Sentence Structure

Simple Sentence
A simple sentence consists of one independent clause and no subordinate
clauses.
Most TV family shows idealize family life.

A simple sentence may contain a compound subject, a compound verb, and one or more phrases.

Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best were examples of the “ideal” American Family.

According to TV, parents could understand and solve almost any problem.

Compound Sentences
A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined
together.
The TV father worked, and the TV mother stayed at home with the TV children.

Above are two independent clauses. They can be joined with a comma and coordinating conjunction, a
semicolon, or a semicolon and a comma with a conjunctive adverb.

TV families often owned dogs, but you rarely saw a cat.

Housekeepers were family too; they often gave wise advice.

In 1968, viewers saw their first African-American family (Julia) on TV; however, the stories were like
those on Father Knows Best.

Complex Sentences
A complex sentence consists of one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

A.
1. Television once had strict codes for family sitcoms. SS
2. Networks didn’t want to offend their viewers, and they had a long list of topics to avoid. CD
3. All in the Family broke most of the TV taboos in eight years. SS
4. The show was the first sitcom to deal with topics that previous shows had ignored. CX
5. For the first time, audiences heard a toilet flush on a sitcom! SS
6. Archie and Edith Bunker become household names, and the show made stars out of actors
Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton. CD
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7. Shows based on minor characters were also hits, which made All in the Family even more
famous. CD
8. The show opened doors for other sitcoms; in fact, when the Simpsons aired, critics called it a
cartoon All in the Family. CC
9. Homer, the father on The Simpsons, acts like Archie, but Homer is better at avoiding work.
CD
10. When The Simpsons tackles a subject, it spares no one. CX
B.
1. When The Brady Bunch Movie shows how out of place the family is in the 1990s, they are
stuck in the 1970s.
2. The family has sack races on the lawn, and they still wear polyester clothes.
3. Even though Middle sister Jan plots to make older sister Marcia look ugly, Marcia alays
remains beautiful. Since the Bradys’ neighbor hates them, he tries to force them to move,
but the Bradys raise enough money to save their home.