Clause
“A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a predicate”
For example, he laughed.
A clause refers to a group of related words (within a sentence or itself as an independent sentence) that has both subject and predicate.
Example
I will meet him in the office.
The part of the above sentence “I will meet him” is a clause because it has a subject(I) and a predicate(will meet him). On the other hand, the rest part of the above sentence “in office” lacks both subject and predicate(verb) such a group of words is called a phrase.
A clause may stand as a simple sentence or may join another clause to make a sentence. Therefore, a sentence consists of one, two, or more clauses.
Examples.
• He is sleeping. (one clause)
• The kids were laughing at the joker. (one clause)
• The teacher asked a question, but no one answered. (two clauses)
• I am happy because I won a prize. (two clauses)
• I like Mathematics, but my brother likes Biology
because he wants to become a doctor. (three clauses)
Clauses are divided into the main clause (also called independent clause) and a subordinate clause (also called dependent clauses).
Types of Clauses
There are two major types of clauses main (or independent) clause and subordinate (or dependant) clause.
Main Clause and Subordinate Clause – Comparison
He is buying a shirt which looks very nice.
The above sentence has two clauses “He is buying a shirt” and “which looks very nice”. The clause “He is buying a shirt” expresses a complete thought and can alone stand as a sentence. Such a clause is called a main or independent clause.
While the clause “which looks very nice” does not express a complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on another clause (main clause) to express a complete idea. Such a clause is called a subordinate or dependent clause.
Main or Independent Clause
“Main (or independent) clause is a clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand as a sentence.
Examples
I met a boy who had helped me.
She is wearing a shirt which looks nice.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
He became angry and smashed the vase into peace.
In the above sentences each underlined part shows the main clause. It expresses complete though and can stand as a sentence that is why a main or an independent clause is normally referred as a simple sentence.
A subordinate or dependent Clause
Subordinate (or independent) clause is a clause that does not express a complete thought and depends on another clause (main clause) to express a complete thought. The subordinate clause does not express a complete idea and can’t stand as a sentence. A sentence having a subordinate clause must have a main clause.
Example
He likes Chinese rice which tastes good.
The clause “which tastes good” in the above sentence is a subordinate clause because it does not express a complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on the main clause (he likes Chinese rise) to express a complete thought.
Examples.
I met a boy who had helped me.
I bought a table that costs $ 1000.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
Subordinate (or dependent) clauses are further divided into three types,
1. Noun Phrase, 2. Adjective Phrase, 3. Adverb Phrase
Types of Subordinate Clause
Functions of the Subordinate Clause.
A subordinate (dependent) clause may function as a noun, an adjective or an adverb in a sentence. On the basis of their function in a sentence, subordinate clauses can be divided in to following types.
1. Noun Clause
2. Adjective Clause.
3. Adverb Clause
Noun Clause
“A dependent clause that functions as a noun in a sentence is called a noun clause.”
A noun clause performs the same function as a noun in a sentence.
Example
What he did make a problem for his family.
In the above sentence the clause “what he did” functions as a noun, hence it is a noun clause. A noun clause works as a noun that acts as a subject, object, or predicate in a sentence. A noun clause starts with words “that, what, whatever, who, whom, whoever, whomever”.
Examples
Whatever you learn will help you in the future. (noun clause as a subject)
What you said made me laugh. (noun clause as a subject)
He knows that he will pass the test. (noun clause as an object)
Now I realize what he would have thought. (noun clause as an object)
Adjective Clause
“A dependent clause that functions as an adjective in a sentence is called an adjective clause.”
An adjective clause works like an adjective in a sentence. The function of an adjective is to modify (describe) a noun or a pronoun. Similarly a noun clause modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Example
He wears a shirt which looks nice.
The clause “which looks nice” in the above sentence is an adjective clause because it modifies the noun “shirt” in the sentence.
An adjective clause always precedes the noun it modifies.
Examples.
I met a boy who had helped me.
An apple that smells bad is rotten.
The book which I like is helpful in preparation for the test.
The house where I live consists of four rooms.
The person who was shouting needed help.
The adjective clause begins with a relative pronoun (that, who, whom, whose, which, or whose) and is also a relative clause.
Adjective (relative) clauses can be a restrictive clause or nonrestrictive clause
Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
Adjective (relative) clauses can be a restrictive clause or nonrestrictive clause. A restrictive clause limits the meaning of the preceding noun or pronoun. A nonrestrictive clause tells us something about the preceding noun or pronoun but does not limit the meaning of the preceding noun or pronoun.
Example
•The student in the class who studied a lot passed the test. (restrictive clause)
•The student in the class, who had attended all the lectures, passed the test. (nonrestrictive clause)
In the first sentence the clause “who studied a lot” restricts information to preceding noun(student), it means that there is only one student in the class who studied a lot, hence it is a restrictive clause.
In the second sentence the clause “who had attended all the lectures” gives us information about the preceding noun but does not limit this information to the preceding noun. It means there can be several other students in the class who had attended all the lectures.
A comma is always used before a restrictive clause in a sentence and also after nonrestrictive clause if it is within a main clause. “That” is usually used to introduce a restrictive clause while “which” is used to introduce a nonrestrictive clause.
Example
The table that costs $ 100 is made of steel. (restrictive clause)
The table, which costs $ 100, is made of steel. (nonrestrictive clause)
Adverb Clause
“A dependent clause that functions as an adverb in a sentence is called the adverb clause”
An adverb clause like an adverb modifies a verb, adjective clause or another adverb clause in a sentence. It modifies(describes) the situation in the main clause in terms of “time, frequency (how often), cause and effect, contrast, condition, intensity (to what extent).”
The subordinating conjunctions used for adverb clauses are as follows.
Time: when, whenever, since, until, before, after, while, as, by the time, as soon as
Cause and effect: because, since, now that, as long as, so, so that,
Contrast: although, even, whereas, while, though
Condition: if, unless, only if, whether or not, even if, providing or provided that, in case
Examples.
Don’t go before he comes.
He takes medicine because he is ill.
Although he tried a lot, he couldn’t climb up the tree.
Unless you study for the test, you can’t pass it.
I will go to the school unless it rains.
You are safe as long as you drive carefully.
You can achieve anything provided that you struggle for it.
adverb- modifies adjective, noun or pronoun by giving its information or description like time, condition, reason, and effect, etc. whereas adjective is the one which makes the noun be for understandable and imaginative! like: he is wearing a shirt which looks very good. in this sentence which looks very good is an adjective clause! as it tells
us how the shirt(noun
) is.
