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6/30/2021 What are the different types of clauses?

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What are the different types of clauses?

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clauses? panda car
NOUN
RapNet by

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb


Rapaport
(and usually other components too). A clause may
form part of a sentence or it may be a complete
sentence in itself. For example:
Open

He was eating a bacon sandwich.

[clause]
It's here! Lexico's first Word of the
Year!

She had a but she is remembered mainly


long career for one early work.

[clause] [clause]
Feedback

When To Use "Farther" vs.


Main clause "Further"

Every sentence contains at least one main clause.


A main clause may form part of a compound

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sentence or a complex sentence, but it also


makes sense on its own, as in this example:

He was eating a bacon sandwich.

[main clause] Is It "Enquire" Or "Inquire"?

'-sion', '-tion' or '-cion'?


 
Which is the correct spelling?
Compound sentences are made up of two or
more main clauses linked by a conjunction such stasion

as and, but, or so, as in the following examples:


station

NEXT 0/10
I love I’m captain of the
and

sport
local football team.

[main
[conjunction]
[main clause]

clause]
TRENDING WORDS

Most popular in the world

She was born in


but

her mother 1. challenger


Spain
is Polish.

[main
2. agomphious
[main clause]
[conjunction]

clause]

3. blink

4. parti pris
Subordinate clause 5. health fascism
A subordinate clause depends on a main clause
for its meaning. Together with a main clause, a
subordinate clause forms part of a complex
sentence. Here are two examples of sentences
containing subordinate clauses:

After we had had we went back to


lunch,
work.

Feedback

[subordinate clause]
[main clause]

I first saw her in where I lived in the early


Paris,
nineties.

[main clause]
[subordinate clause]

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There are two main types of subordinate clause:


conditional clauses and relative clauses.

Conditional clause
A conditional clause is one that usually begins
with if or unless and describes something that is
possible or probable:

If it looks a simple shelter can be made


like rain out of a plastic sheet

[conditional
[main clause]
clause]

I'll be home unless the plane's delayed


tomorrow for hours.

[main clause] [conditional clause]

Relative clause
A relative clause is one connected to a main
clause by a word such as which, that, whom,
whose, when, where, or who:

I first saw her in where I lived in the early


Paris, nineties.

[main clause] [relative clause]

She wants to be who is best suited to


with Thomas, take care of her.
[main clause] [relative clause]
Feedback

I was wearing the that I bought to wear to


dress  Jo's party.

 [main clause] [relative clause]

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Using relative clauses


Have you ever wondered about when to use that
and when to use which or who in this type of
sentence? In fact, for much of the time that is
interchangeable with either of these words. For
example:

√ You’re the only person who has


ever listened to me.

√ You’re the only person that has


ever listened to me.

√ It’s a film that should be seen by


everyone.

√ It’s a film which should be seen by


everyone

When referring to something, rather than


someone, that tends to be the usual choice in
everyday writing and conversation in British
English. However, there is one main case when
you should not use that to introduce a relative
clause. This is related to the fact that there are
two types of relative clause: a restrictive relative
clause and a non-restrictive relative clause.

Restrictive relative clause


A restrictive relative clause (also known as a
defining relative clause) gives essential
information about a noun that comes before it:
without this clause the sentence wouldn’t make
much sense. A restrictive relative clause can be
introduced by that, which, whose, who, or whom.
You should not place a comma in front of a
restrictive relative clause:
Feedback

√ She held out the


which was hurt.
hand 

√ She held out the


that was hurt.
hand

[restrictive relative
[main clause]
clause]

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You can also leave out that or which in some


restrictive relative clauses:

√ It reminded him of that he used to rent in


the house Oxford.

√ It reminded him of which he used to rent


the house in Oxford.

√ It reminded him of he used to rent in


the house Oxford.

[restrictive relative
[main clause]
clause]

Non-restrictive relative clause


A non-restrictive relative clause (also called a
non-defining relative clause) provides extra
information that could be left out without
affecting the meaning or structure of the
sentence. Non-restrictive relative clauses are
normally introduced by which, whose, who, or
whom, but never by that. You should place a
comma in front of them:

She held out her


which Rob shook.
hand,

[non-restrictive relative
[main clause]
clause]

If a non-restrictive relative clause is in the middle


of a sentence, you should put commas before
and after it:
Feedback

who had fallen asleep suddenly


Bill,
on the sofa, roused himself.

[non-restrictive
   
relative clause]

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