GUIDE TO UNDERSTAND

CLAUSES
Clause Types of Clauses:

A clause is a word group

Independent (or
that contains a verb and
Main)
its subject and that is
Dependent (or
used as a sentence or
Subordinate)
as part of a sentence.

Independent Dependent

A subordinate (or dependent)

Main (or independent) clause does not express a
clause is a clause that complete thought and cannot
expresses a complete stand alone as a sentence.
thought and can stand as a Also, it can be used as
sentence. Ex: Subject/ adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.
Verb Example:
The outfielders missed whom we spoke to yesterday
easy fly balls.

Adjective Clauses
It is a subordinate clause that
modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Also, tells what kind or which one.
Ex: I am now reading this book,
which is a historical novel about the
Irish revolt of 1798. (Modifies the
noun book, telling what kind of
book
Noun Clauses
A noun clause is a dependent clause that
functions grammatically like a noun in a
sentence. In other words, it takes the place
of a noun but has its own subject and verb.
Ex. The rumor that the bakery was closing
spread quickly.
In this sentence, the noun clause is "that
the bakery was closing." It acts as the
direct object of the verb "spread." While it
conveys information like a noun ("rumor"), it
has its own subject ("bakery") and verb
("was closing").

Adverb Clauses
Verb Clauses
An adverb clause is a dependent clause
that functions like an adverb within a
sentence. In other words, it provides more
information about:
When something happened (time)
Where something happened (place)
How something happened (manner)
Why something happened (reason)
To what extent something happened
(degree)
Unlike verb clauses, adverb clauses cannot
stand alone as a sentence because they
lack the independence of a subject and
verb expressing a complete thought.
ex.
She arrived after the movie started.
A verb clause is a group of words containing
a subject and a verb that expresses a
complete thought. The key thing here is that
it has the potential to stand alone as a
sentence, even though it might not always
be used that way in a full sentence.
Ex. The dog chased the frisbee.
This group of words functions as a complete
sentence because it has:
Subject: "The dog"
Verb: "chased"
Expresses a complete thought: We
understand what action is happening
(chasing) and who is performing the
action (the dog).

Common Subordinating
Conjunctions Common Conjuctive
Adverbs
after
even
also
though
however
unless
nevertheless
although
if
anyway
until instead
otherwise