Clause
Subject and Predicate
Types of Clauses
Combination of
Independent Clauses
The Main Clause
Kinds of dependent Clauses
Clause Combination within a Sentence
Compound Sentence
Complex Sentence
Compound-Complex Sentence
General Classification of Clauses
Clause
In general, a sentence is a complete expression composed of one sense or more
while a clause can only have one sense of expression. Therefore a clasue is the
basic usit of English grammar to express a sense of expression in an expression
or throught,
the sentence.
She has a necklace
which is made of platinum.
Mary has a necklace,
and Debra has a necklace too.
Subject and Predicate
Like a sentence, in order to make a complete sense of what is being expressed, a thing
of person, persons, thing, or things, etc, must be named together with something
saying about the mentioned thing in a clause. In other words, every clause
should have two parts of information. That is, a clasue must have at
least one subject to speak about and there must have at least one thing or
predicate to say or predicate about that subject.
Shehas a necklacewhichis made of platinum
Types of Clauses
According to the sense of a clause, clauses in a sentence can be divided into
independent and dependent clauses.
Independent clause: An independent clause is a
simple complete seperate sentence that contains a subject, and predicate or verb
for expressing a complete sense of expression. An independent clause itself expresses a complete thought in both context and meaning.
However, a standalone independent clause is usually called a sensetance
because the group of words is a completed expression.
She has a necklace
dependent clause: A dependent clause can only be a part of a sentence that
cannot stand by itself for expressing a complete or good sense of expression.
Although a clause also have a subject and verb, a depentent clause must be
combined with an independent clause for expressing a complete sense of
expression. A dependent clause itself dies not express a complete thought in both context and meaning.
Unlike an independent clause, a dependent clause usually performs various
functions for providing addition senses to the independing clause within a
sentence.
which is made of platinum.
Combination of
Independent Clauses
Usually simple independent clauses of simple expression are combined into one
sentence of a larger unit of thought for expressing a more complete sense of
expression itself. There are three ways to connect or combine independent
clauses together.
By Punctuation:
Period: In a more general sense, simple sentences with one single independent
clauses accordingly in a paragraph can be considered as a group of related
independent cluauses or sentences connected together with a period as the
seperator to express a main thought or idea.
John bought two ice-cream cones. He gives one to Mary.
Semicolon: Sometimes, two independent clauses can be combined together with a
semicolon as the seperator to form one full sentence for expressing a more brief
thought or idea on independent clauses with a closely related to one another in sense and
nicely balanced of structure and import.
John bought two ice-cream cones;
he gives one to Mary.
By Coordination: Two independent clauses can also be combined together
coordinately with the help of using the coordinating conjunction to form one
full sentence for expressing a more clear thought or idea on independent clauses
with a closely related in sense and usually nicely balanced of import and
structure. A coordinating conjunction is added to turn an independent clause
into a coordinate clause of another independent clause. Coordinating conjunctions are and, or, nor, for, yet, but, and so.
John bought two ice-cream cones,
and he gives one to Mary.
John bought one ice-cream cone,
but he gives it to Mary.
John bought two ice-cream cones,
so he gives it to Mary.
By Subordination: Two independent clauses can also be combined together
subordinately by turning one of the clauses into a subordinate element with the
help of adding a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun to form one
full sentence for expressing a more clear thought or idea on the relationship of
the main clause and the depependent or subordinate clause. The clause begining
with a subordinating word becomes a dependent or subordinate clause with the
meaning of the dependent clause depending on the independent clause or element
of the sentence. Subordinating conjunctions are after, unless, although,
because, unless, when, ... etc.
After
John bought two ice-cream cones, he gives one to Mary.
The Main Clause
A main clause is also a term used to name a group of words made up of a subject
and a predicate like an independent clause that can stand alone as a complete
sentence. Therefore a main clause is always an independent clause. Since an
independent clause can never be a subordinate clause, a main clause must be a
superordinate clause. As a main clause cannot be a subordinate clause, a main
clause is the essential elemnt of a sentence. superordinate clause only.
For a simple sentence, the only single clause element unit is a main clause in
the sentence and the single clause is also an independent clause.
For a compound sentence, the clause element unit without a connecting
conjunction in front of the element unit is a main clause in the sentence
because an independent clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence. And
the other element units without the connecting words that can stand on their own
as acceptable sentences and have equal importance to the main clause are also
refereed as main clauses. The connecting conjunctions, and, or, nor, for,
yet, but, and so, are also called coordinators for the usage of connecting main
clauses of equal import.
Kinds of dependent Clauses
Although a dependent clause cannot stand by itself without combining with an
independent clause to make a complete good sense, a dependent clause can make
various functions within a sentence grammatically. Unlike independent clause, a dependent clause
must be a subordinate clause of a main or independent clause. But according to the grammatic
function of a dependent clause in the sentence, dependent Clauses can be
categorized into three basic kinds.
Noun clause: A noun clause or a nominal clause is a dependent clause that acts
as a noun part of speech in a sentence for providing information about the subject,
object, or complement to the main or independent clause of the sentence.
Adjective clause: An adjective clause, an adjectival clause, or a relative
clause is a dependent clause that is used as a multi-word adjective part of
speech for
providing addition information about a noun or pronoun part, of subject, object
or other modifier to the main or independent clause of the
sentence.
Adverb clause: An adverb clause or adverbial
clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb part of speech for
providing addition information about what is going on about the verb, adjective,
and other adverb part. to the main or independent clause of the
sentence.
Clause Combination within a Sentence
Besides a simple sentence, a complex sentence, a compound sentence, and a
compound-complex sentence are sentences formed by the combination of clauses.
Compound Sentence
For a compound sentence, there are two ideas or more expressed by two independent
clauses or more. A compound sentence can be combined by simply adding a semicolon
between the two independent clauses. Method of coordination can also be used
when a more clear coordinating relation between the two ideas of independent clauses is
needed to be expressed in a sentence. A coordinating conjunction is placed in
front of an independent clause for adding additional coordinating information
and turning the independent clause into a coordinate clause of another
independent clause. Coordinating conjunctions that can be used
are and, or, nor, for, yet, but, and so.
"and" is used to express a meaning of "along with", "together
with", "as well as", " besides", "moreover", "also", "in addition to",
or ... etc., for the
coordinate clause as a same important thought in related to another independent clause.
"or" is used to express a meaning of "an
additional point of view", "an alternative idea", "an alternative choice", "an
alternative decision", "an alternative result", "an alternative possibility"
"an alternative result", "an alternative to one another", or
... etc.,
for the coordinate clause as an alternative thought in related to another independent clause.
"nor" is used to express a meaning of "an additional negative idea", "an
additional negative thought", "as not", "no", "never", or ... etc., for the coordinate clause
as an alternative negative thought in related to another independent clause of
negative sense.
"for" is used to express a meaning of "a reason", "a
reason of result", "a reason of causation", "because", "seeing that",
"since", or ... etc., for the coordinate clause as a usually true thought in related to another independent clause.
"yet" is used to express a meaning of
"thought", "a different in expectation", "still", "nevertheless", or ... etc.,
for the coordinate clause as a different complementary thought in related to another independent clause.
"but" is used to express a meaning of "a different point of view", "an
opposition of view", "a contrary to expectation", "in contrast", "on the
contrary", "other than a negative sense", or ... etc., for the coordinate clause
as a contrary thought in related to another independent clause.
"so" is used to express a meaning of "the progression of a thought", "the
progression of an idea", "in addition to", or ... etc., for the coordinate
clause as an extended thought in related to another independent clause.
Complex Sentence
For a complex sentence, there are two ideas or more expressed by
one independent clause plus one dependent clause or more. Method of subordination can be used
when a more clear relation between the idea of a dependent clause and the idea
of a main clause, the independent clause, is
needed to be expressed in a sentence. A connecting conjunction is placed in
front of an independent clause for adding additional connecting information
in related to another independent clause and turning the independent clause into a dependent clause of another
independent clause. According to the grammatic
function of a dependent clause in the sentence, dependent clauses can be
categorized into three basic kinds.
Noun clause: A noun clause or a nominal clause is a dependent clause that can be
a coordinate or subordinate clause depending on context and meaning. Connecting
conjunction are what, that, whatever.
Adjective clause: An adjective clause, an adjectival clause, or a relative
clause is a dependent clause that is used as a multi-word adjective part of
speech for
providing addition information about a noun or pronoun part, of subject, object
or other modifier to the main or independent clause of the
sentence.
Adverb clause: An adverb clause or adverbial
clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb part of speech for
providing addition information about what is going on about the verb, adjective,
and other adverb part. to the main or independent clause of the
sentence.
The subordinating conjunctions that can be used are much more than coordinating
conjunctions. These linking words can be cataloged as following.
Time: after, before, as soon as, while, when, as, ...
Cause: because, since, as, ...
Condition: if, provided that, as long as, unless, ...
Concession: although, though, even though, ...
Relative: which, who, that, where, whose, ...
Compound-Complex Sentence
The clause combination of compound-complex sentence is just the application of
clause combination techniques used in complex sentence in compound sentence
together with clause combination techniques used in compound sentence.
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