Clause Definition

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. It can be used to form a complete or part of a sentence. Clauses can be combined to form complex sentences by using conjunctions like "and," "but," "because," etc.

For example:

• Independent Clause: "She walked to the store to bring the items" is a complete sentence.
• Dependent Clause: "Because she was running late" is an example of a dependent clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It needs to be connected to an independent clause to make sense.

A clause contains a subject and a verb. So, it can be a complete sentence (independent Clause) or a part of a sentence that depends on another clause to form a complete thought (dependent Clause). A clause differs from a phrase, a group of words lacking a subject or verb.

Types of Clause

1. Main Clause or Independent Clause

An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a sentence because it contains a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought. It is also known as a main clause because it contains the sentence's main idea.

An independent clause is a complete sentence that does not require any other part of the sentence to make sense. In simpler terms, you can identify an independent clause when there are no conjunctions such as "and," "if," "that," "which," etc., connecting it to another clause.

Examples of the main Clause:

• You are a beautiful woman.
• Shyam is going to school.
• He is a little boy.

2. Dependent Clause or Subordinate Clause

A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot make sense independently and depends on another clause to form a complete sentence. It contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence. Dependent clauses often add more or additional information to the sentence. A subordinate Clause is another name for a dependent Clause.

Examples:

• After I finish my homework, I will go for a night out with my friends.
  ("After I finish my homework "is a dependent clause here.
• After I finish my homework, I will go to bed.
  (Subordinate Clause: After I finish my homework)
• The book that I read last night was perfect.
  (Subordinate Clause: that I read last night)
• She asked if she could borrow my pencil.
  (Subordinate Clause: if she could borrow my pencil)
• Although it was raining, we still went for a walk.
  (Subordinate Clause: Although it was raining)
• The teacher who taught me math is retired now.
  (Subordinate Clause: who taught me math)
• I will study hard so that I can get good grades.
  (Subordinate Clause: so that I can get good grades)
• He does not like to eat vegetables, even though they are suitable for him.
  (Subordinate Clause: even though they are suitable for him)
• What you said was very hurtful.
  (Subordinate Clause: What you said)
• She waited until the movie started to get her popcorn.
  (Subordinate Clause: until the movie started)
• He asked me where I was from.
  (Subordinate Clause: where I was from)

Types of Dependent Clause

1. Adverbial Clause

An adverbial clause is a group of words that functions like an adverb in a sentence. It simply means that it modifies or describes the verb, adjective, or another adverb in the sentence. Adverbial clauses can inform how, when, where, why, or under what conditions something happened. Here is an example sentence:

I will go to the store when it stops raining.

In this sentence, "when it stops raining" is an adverbial clause because it modifies the verb "will go" and tells us when the action will occur. The Clause starts with the subordinating conjunction "when," which is a clue that it is a dependent clause. Another example sentence is:

Although I was tired, I stayed up to finish my homework.

In this sentence, "Although I was tired" is an adverbial clause because it modifies the verb "stayed up" and tells us under what condition the action occurred. The Clause starts with the subordinating conjunction "although," which is a clue that it is a dependent clause.

Adverbial clauses can be tricky to identify because they often appear in the middle of a sentence and are separated from the main Clause by a comma. To help identify an adverbial clause, look for a group of words that starts with a subordinating conjunction (such as "when," "while," "if," "although," "since," etc.) and see if it modifies the verb, adjective, or another adverb in the sentence.

2. Adjective Clause

An adjective or relative clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adjective in a sentence. It modifies a noun or pronoun, providing additional information about it.

To identify an adjectival clause, look for a clause that begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, that, or which) or a relative adverb (when, where, or why). These pronouns and adverbs introduce the Clause and help connect it to the noun or pronoun it modifies.

Here are some examples of adjectival clauses in action:

Example 1:

The book that I borrowed from the library was very interesting.

In this sentence, the adjectival Clause is "that I borrowed from the library." It modifies the noun "book" and provides additional information about it. The relative pronoun "that" connects the Clause to the noun it modifies.

Example 2:

The girl who won the race is my friend.

In this sentence, the adjectival Clause is "who won the race." It modifies the noun "girl" and provides additional information about her. The relative pronoun "who" connects the Clause to the noun it modifies.

Example 3:

The car, which is parked in the driveway, belongs to my neighbor.

In this sentence, the adjectival Clause is "which is parked in the driveway." It modifies the noun "car" and provides additional information about it. The relative pronoun "which" connects the Clause to the noun it modifies.

3. Noun Clause

A noun is a dependent clause that functions as a noun in a sentence. Like other clauses, it contains a subject and a verb. However, unlike independent clauses, it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

Here is an example to help illustrate this:

Independent Clause: Mary is going to the store.

Dependent Clause: what Mary needs from the store.

Combining these two clauses can create a sentence containing a noun clause: Mary is going to the store to get what she needs.

In this example, "what she needs" is the noun clause, which is the direct object of the verb "get." It answers the question "what?" and takes the place of a noun in the sentence.

Functions of a noun clause

Noun clauses can also function as the subject or object of a verb or as the object of a preposition. Here are some examples to help illustrate these different uses:

The subject of a verb:

Whether we go to the party or not is still up for debate.

In this example, "whether we go to the party or not" is the subject of the verb "is" and functions as a noun clause.

The object of a verb:

I know that she is a talented musician.

In this example, "that she is a talented musician" is the object of the verb "know" and functions as a noun clause.

The object of a preposition:

I am interested in what you have to say.

In this example, "what you have to say" is the object of the preposition "in" and functions as a noun clause.

Noun clauses can also begin with certain introductory words such as "that," "whether," "if," "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how