Transcript The Clause

The Clause
Independent
and
Subordinate Clauses
What is a clause?
 A clause is a word group that contains a verb and its
subject and that is used as a sentence or part of a
sentence.
 Every clause has a subject and a verb.
 where are you now
 Subject = you
 Verb = are
 after we won the game
 Subject = we
 Verb = won
What is a clause?
 Not every clause expresses a complete thought.
 Example: A sitar is a stringed instrument that
resembles a lute.
 A clause that does express a complete thought is an
independent clause.
 A sitar is a stringed instrument.


Subject = sitar
Verb = is
 A clause that does not express a complete thought is a
subordinate clause.
 that resembles a lute


Subject = that
Verb = resembles
The Independent Clause
 An independent clause (also called a
main clause) expresses a complete
thought and can stand by itself as a
sentence.
 The Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada
opposed the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz.
 Subject = artist
 Verb = opposed
The Subordinate Clause
 A subordinate clause (also called a dependent
clause) does not express a complete thought and
cannot stand by itself as a sentence.
 Like a word or a phrase, a subordinate clause can be
used as an adjective, a noun, or an adverb in a
sentence.
 The thought expressed by a subordinate clause
becomes complete when the clause is combined
with an independent clause.
The Adjective Clause
 An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that
modifies a noun or a pronoun.
 An adjective clause follows the word or words it
modifies and tells what kind or which one.
 An adjective clause usually begins with a relative
pronoun.
 A relative pronoun relates an adjective clause to the
word or words the clause modifies and serves a
function within the clause.
Relative Pronoun
 Introduces an adjective clause (a subordinate
clause that modifies a noun or pronoun; follows the
word or words that it modifies and tells what kind or
which one).
 The relative pronouns are:





That
Which
Who
Whom
Whose
Adjective Clauses
 Dr. Charles Richter devised the Richter scale, which
is used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes.
 Ferdinand Magellan, who was the commander of
the first expedition around the world, was killed
before the end of the journey.
 Didn’t John Kieran once say, “I am a part of all that
I have read”?
Adjective Clauses
 Be careful! Sometimes the relative
pronoun is not expressed, but its
meaning is understood.
 The documentary [that] I watched
yesterday was about Harriet Tubman.
 We will never forget the wonderful
summer [when] we stayed with our
grandparents in Puerto Rico.
Adjective Clauses
 To modify a place or time, an
adjective clause may begin with
when or where or why. When used
to introduce adjective clauses,
these words are called relative
adverbs.
Adjective Clauses
 Adjectival clauses are sometimes introduced by what are
called the relative adverbs: where, when, and why.
 Although the entire clause is adjectival and will modify a
noun, the relative word itself fulfills an adverbial
function (modifying a verb within its own clause).
 The relative adverb where will begin a clause that
modifies a noun of place:
 My entire family now worships in the church where my
great grandfather used to be minister.
 The relative pronoun "where" modifies the verb "used to
be" (which makes it adverbial), but the entire clause
("where my great grandfather used to be minister")
modifies the word "church."
Relative Adverbs
 A when clause will modify nouns
of time:
 My favorite month is always June,
when we celebrate my son’s birthday
and the start of summer.
 Did I ever tell you about the time
when I was hit by a car?
Relative Adverbs
 And a why clause will modify the noun reason:
 Do you know the reason why Isabel isn't in class
today?
 We sometimes leave out the relative adverb in such
clauses, and many writers prefer "that" to "why" in a
clause referring to "reason":
 Do you know the reason why Isabel isn't in class
today?
 I always look forward to the day when we begin our
summer vacation.
 I know the reason that men like motorcycles.
Adjective Clause
 Depending on how it is used, an adjective clause is
either essential or nonessential.
 An essential (or restrictive) clause provides
information that is necessary to the meaning of a
sentence.
 A nonessential (or nonrestrictive) clause provides
additional information that can be omitted without
changing the basic meaning of the sentence.
Nonessential clauses are set off by commas.
The Noun Clause
 A noun clause is a subordinate clause that is used as
a noun.
 A noun clause may be used as a subject, predicate
nominative, a direct object, an indirect object, or an
object of a preposition.
Common
Introductory
Words
For
Noun
Clauses
How
What
That
Whatever
When
Where
Whether
Which
Whichever
Who
Whoever
Whomever
Whom
Whose
Why
The Noun Clause
 The word that introduces a noun clause may or may
not have a grammatical function in the clause.
 Examples:
 Tanya will do well at whatever she attempts.
 Serves as the direct object of the verb attempts
 Does Luis think that Puerto Rico will become a state
someday?
 Does not serve a grammatical purpose
 The theory that the sun is the center of our solar
system was proposed by Copernicus.
 Identifies the noun theory.
Infinitive Clause
 Another type of noun clause is the infinitive clause.
 An infinitive clause consists of an infinitive with a
subject, along with any modifiers and complements
the infinitive has.
 The entire infinitive clause can function as the direct
object of a verb.
 The subject of an infinitive clause is in the objective
case and the infinitive takes the place of a main
verb.
Infinitive Clause
 I wanted her to tell the class the story
about the penguin.
 The entire infinitive clause is the direct
object of the verb wanted.
 Her is the subject of the infinitive to tell.
 The infinitive to tell has an indirect object,
class, and a direct object, story.
Infinitive Clause
 Judy’s father expected her to finish
her homework.
 The entire infinitive clause is the direct
object of the verb expected.
 Her is the subject of the infinitive to finish.
 The infinitive to finish has a direct object,
homework.
The Adverb Clause
 An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that
modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.
 The squirrel ran as though it were being chased by a
cat. [modifies ran & tells how it ran]
 An adverb clause tells how, when, where, why, to what
extent, or under what condition.
 An adverb clause that begins a sentence is followed
by a comma.
 When the weather starts getting cold, many animals
grow heavier fur.
The Adverb Clause
 An adverb clause is introduced by a
subordinating conjunction – a word or word
group that shows the relationship between
the adverb clause and the word or words
that the clause modifies.
 A subordinating conjunction begins a
subordinate clause and connects it to an
independent clause.


An independent (or main) clause expresses a complete thought and
can stand by itself as a sentence.
A subordinate (or dependent) clause does not express a complete
thought and cannot stand by itself as a sentence.
Common Subordinating
Conjunctions
After
Although
As
As if
As much as
As though
Even
though
Provided
As well as
Because
How
If
Since
Though
Whenever
While
So that
Unless
Where
Why
Before
In order that
Than
Until
Wherever
That
When
Whether
The Elliptical Clause
 Part of a clause may be left out when its meaning
can be clearly understood from the context of the
sentence. This is an elliptical clause.
 Most elliptical clauses are adverb clauses.
 The meaning of an elliptical clause often depends
on the form of the pronoun in the clause.
 Mike asked her more questions than I [asked her].
 Mike asked her more questions than [she asked] me.
Elliptical Clauses
 Elliptical Clauses are grammatically
incomplete in the sense that they are
missing either the relative pronoun
(dependent word) that normally
introduces such a clause or something
from the predicate in the second part
of a comparison.
Elliptical Clauses
 The missing parts of the elliptical clause can be
guessed from the context and most readers are not
aware that anything is missing. In fact, elliptical
clauses are regarded as both useful and correct, even in
formal prose, because they are often elegant, efficient
means of expression. (The omitted words are noted in
brackets below).
 Coach Espinoza knew [that] this team would be the best
[that] she had coached in recent years.
 Though [they were] sometimes nervous on the court, her
recruits proved to be hard workers.
 Sometimes the veterans knew the recruits could play
better than they [could play].
Classifying Sentences
 Sentences can be classified according to
purpose or structure.
 Sentences may be classified, according to purpose,
as:
Declarative
Imperative
Interrogative
Exclamatory
 Sentences may be classified according to structure
as:
Simple
Complex
Compound-complex
Simple Sentences
 A simple sentence contains one independent clause
and no subordinate clauses.
 A simple sentence may contain a compound subject,
a compound verb, and any number of phrases.
 Be careful to distinguish a simple sentence with
either a compound subject or a compound verb
from a compound sentence.
Simple Sentences
 H.J. (Henry Jackson) Lewis is generally regarded as
the first African American political cartoonist.
 Lewis made sketches for archaeological studies in
Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana in
1882 and 1883.
 Throughout his life, Lewis produced drawings for
various publications.
Compound Sentences
 A compound sentence contains two or more
independent clauses and no subordinate clauses
 The independent clauses in a compound sentence
may be joined by a comma and a coordinating
conjunction (fanboys), by a semicolon, or by a
semicolon and a conjunctive adverb or a transitional
expression.
Compound Sentences
 Use a Comma and a Joining Word.
 The teacher lectured for over an hour, and his
students slept soundly.
 The old man wanted to hide his money, for he
feared his children would steal it from him.
 The student had a test the next day, so she studied
all night long.
 Pattern:
 Sentence, joining word sentence.
 Subject + Predicate, joining word Subject + Predicate.
Compound Sentences
 Use a Semicolon.
 The teacher lectured for over an hour; his students slept
soundly.
 The old man wanted to hide his money; he feared his
children would steal it from him.
 The student studied all night long; she had a test the next
day.
 Patterns:
 Sentence ; sentence.
 Subject + Predicate ; Subject + Predicate.
Compound Sentences
 Use a semicolon and a transition word.
 The car had a V-8 engine and a new paint job;
however, it had no brakes.
 The Pit Bull had quite a bite; in fact, its bite was
"outlawed" in seven states.
 Larry studied for the test all weekend; therefore, he
expected to earn a good grade on the test.
 Patterns:
 Sentence ; transition word, sentence.
 Subject + Predicate ; transition word, Subject +
Predicate.
Common Conjunctive
Adverbs
Also
Anyway
Besides
Consequently
Furthermore
However
Instead
Likewise
Meanwhile
Moreover
Nevertheless
Otherwise
Still
Then
Therefore
Common Transitional
Expressions
For
As a result example
In other
words
On the
At any rate In addition contrary
On the
By the way In fact
other hand
Complex Sentences
 A complex sentence contains one independent clause
and at least one subordinate clause.
 Joining words (subordinating conjunctions) : As, As if,
Because, Since, Although, Even though, When, While,
Until, Unless, Where, etc.
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
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
When I looked into the mirror, I saw an old man.
I saw an old man when I looked into the mirror.
Until Josh attended Merced College, he had no focus in life.
Josh had no focus in life until he attended Merced College.
Pattern:


1. Joining word subject + predicate, subject + predicate.
2. Subject + predicate joining word subject + predicate.
Compound-Complex
Sentences
 A compound-complex sentence contains two or more
independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause.
 When I looked into the mirror, I saw an old man, and I was
surprised.
 As I look out the window, I see no clouds, but the weather
report predicted rain.
 Whenever the old man walked around the mansion, he
wanted to hide his money, for he feared his children would
steal it from him.
 Pattern: Subordinating conjunction subject + predicate,
subject + predicate, coordinating conjunction subject +
predicate.