CLAUSES

INDEPENDENT & DEPENDENT

CLAUSES
 CLAUSES

• DEFINITION: A CLAUSE IS A GROUP OF RELATED WORDS

THAT CONTAINS A SUBJECT AND A PREDICATE.

• THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN MRS. PARKER’S CLASS ARE

SMART.
 CLAUSES VS. PHRASES

• A PHRASE IS A GROUP OF WORDS WITHOUT A SUBJECT AND

A PREDICATE
Phrase

• MAGGIE GAVE A GIFT TO TED.

• STUDENTS WHO EAT BREAKFAST HAVE MORE ENERGY.

Clause
 INDEPENDENT (MAIN) CLAUSES

• AN INDEPENDENT (OR MAIN) CLAUSE CAN STAND ON ITS

OWN. AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE IS A COMPLETE THOUGHT.

• MS. LOWERY TEACHES MATH.

• I ATE BREAKFAST.
 DEPENDENT (SUBORDINATE)
CLAUSES
• A DEPENDENT (OR SUBORDINATE) CLAUSE IS NOT A COMPLETE
THOUGHT. IT IS A FRAGMENT.

• BECAUSE THE STUDENTS PERFORMED WELL ON THE EXAM…

• IF I WON THE LOTTERY…

• WHO IS WEARING A RED SHIRT…

 COMBINING INDEPENDENT &
DEPENDENT CLAUSES
• A DEPENDENT CLAUSE MUST BE ADDED TO AN
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE TO BE A COMPLETE
THOUGHT.

• WHEN A DEPENDENT CLAUSE COMES BEFORE AN

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE, YOU MUST ADD A COMMA
BETWEEN THE TWO.

• BECAUSE THE STUDENTS PERFORMED WELL ON

THE EXAM, THE TEACHERS DID A LITTLE DANCE.
Dependent Clause Independent Clause
 INTERRUPTING A MAIN CLAUSE

• SOMETIMES A DEPENDENT CLAUSE COMES IN BETWEEN A

MAIN CLAUSE.

• MR. BUCKHALTER, WHO TEACHES MATH, IS COMPETITIVE.

Subordinate clause
Main clause
 IDENTIFYING INDEPENDENT &
DEPENDENT CLAUSES

• ASHLEY SINGS A SONG.

• IF MY TEAM WINS THE GAME

• BECAUSE THE STUDENTS SKIPPED SCHOOL

• JESSICA’S FAVORITE SUBJECT IS ENGLISH.

 NOUN CLAUSES

• NOUN CLAUSES: IT IS A DEPENDENT CLAUSE THAT WORKS AS NOUN. NOUN

CLAUSES CAN ACT AS SUBJECT, DIRECT OR INDIRECT OBJECTS OR
PREDICATE NOMINATIVES. SOME EXAMPLES ARE AS UNDER:-
• TELL ME WHO LEFT HIS BOOK ON THE TABLE. (DIRECT OBJECT)
• I SHALL TELL WHOEVER WILL LISTEN MY INTERESTING STORY. (INDIRECT
OBJECT)
• WHOEVER IS THE LAST ONE TO LEAVE TURNS OFF THE LIGHTS. (SUBJECT)
• THE BOY WITH THE CURLED HAIR IS WHO I WANT ON MY TEAM. (PREDICATE
NOMINATIVE)
• NOUN CLAUSES OFTEN BEGIN WITH PRONOUNS OR OTHER WORDS. THAT
PARTICULAR WORD USUALLY HAS A GRAMMATICAL FUNCTION IN THE
SENTENCE
 ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

• AN ADJECTIVE CLAUSE IS A CLAUSE THAT DESCRIBES A

NOUN.
• ADJECTIVE CLAUSES ARE ALWAYS DEPENDENT CLAUSES.
• THERE ARE 5 WORDS (RELATIVE PRONOUNS) THAT
INTRODUCE ADJECTIVE CLAUSES:
• WHO, WHOM, WHOSE, WHICH, THAT
 ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
• SOMETIMES THE RELATIVE PRONOUNS THAT INTRODUCE AN
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE ARE IMPLIED.

• EXAMPLE:
THE GRADE I RECEIVED WAS A SHOCK.

THE PRONOUN THAT IS IMPLIED.

THE GRADE [THAT] I RECEIVED WAS A SHOCK.

 ESSENTIAL AND NON-ESSENTIAL
ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
• ADJECTIVE CLAUSES CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN TWO WAYS:
ESSENTIAL AND NON-ESSENTIAL.
• ESSENTIAL CLAUSES ARE NECESSARY INFORMATION.
THEY DO NOT HAVE COMMAS AROUND THEM.
• NON-ESSENTIAL CLAUSES ARE EXTRA INFORMATION.
COMMAS ARE PLACED AROUND NON-ESSENTIAL CLAUSES.
 EXAMPLES
• AN EXAMPLE OF AN ESSENTIAL CLAUSE:
THE TEACHERS THAT I LIKE BEST ARE FUNNY.
*ESSENTIAL CLAUSES HELP IDENTIFY SPECIFIC
THINGS OR PEOPLE

• AN EXAMPLE OF A NON-ESSENTIAL CLAUSE:

MY ENGLISH BOOK, WHICH IS TERRIBLY BORING,
CALLS MY FLOOR HOME.
*NON-ESSENTIAL CLAUSES ARE EXTRA
INFORMATION.
 ADVERB CLAUSES

• AN ADVERB CLAUSE CONTAINS A SUBJECT AND A

PREDICATE.

• IT ANSWERS THE ADVERB QUESTIONS HOW, WHEN OR

WHY.

• TREVON READ THE BOOK UNTIL HE FELL ASLEEP.

Independent clause Dependent clause &

Adverb clause
 ADJECTIVE & ADVERB CLAUSES

• THE GIRL WHO WORE A BLUE DRESS WON THE PRIZE.

• JACK, WHO ALWAYS CHEWS GUM, LIKES TO PLAY

BASEBALL.

• MAGGIE CALLED TED BECAUSE HE SENT HER ROSES.