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Clause
Phonetics:
klɔːz
Pronunciation:
Master the Art of Effective Writing with Powerful Clauses
Comprehensive Definition, Description, Examples & Rules
What is a clause in a sentence?
If you’re looking to improve your writing skills, mastering English grammar is a must. By now, you must likely be familiar with the basic elements of English sentences: subjects, verbs, and objects. When discussing more intricate writing ideas like clauses, the topic “What is a clause in a sentence?” sometimes comes up.
Therefore, to take your writing to the next level, it’s important to address this question and understand what a clause in a sentence actually is.
Clause meaning states that it is essentially a group of words that includes both a subject and a verb, working together as a syntactic unit to convey meaning within a sentence. Unlike a phrase, which also contains a subject and/or a verb, a clause can function as a standalone sentence or be part of a larger sentence. Example of a clause includes:
- Standalone clause: She walked to the store.
- Clause as part of a sentence: She walked to the store, but she forgot her wallet.
Clause definition is indispensable for comprehending the function of clauses in the composition of a coherent sentence. In fact, a sentence can consist of multiple clauses, each comprising an autonomous subject and predicate, to articulate more intricate and nuanced concepts.
What is a clause example
- Simple sentence with one clause: John is happy.
- Complex sentence with two clauses: Although John is happy, he worries about the future.
To help you understand clause meaning and identify them in your own writing, here are some examples of clauses:
- Independent clause: She ran to catch the bus.
- Dependent clause: Although she ran to catch the bus, she missed it.
- Adjective clause: The restaurant, where we had dinner last night, was excellent.
- Adverb clause: Because it was raining, we stayed indoors.
- Noun clause: What she said surprised me.
Types of Clauses
What’s a clause? Clauses are fundamental building blocks of sentences, and knowing how to use them correctly can help you express yourself more clearly and precisely. In this section, we’ll explore the various types of clauses and how they function in sentences.
Independent Clauses
An independent clause, also known as a main clause, is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb, and it can make complete sense on its own as a sentence. Unlike a dependent clause, which cannot stand alone as a sentence, an independent clause expresses a complete thought. Independent clauses examples are as follows:
Independent clause: She went to the movies yesterday.
In this sentence, “She” is the subject and “went” is the verb. This independent clause expresses a complete idea and has the ability to exist as a sentence on its own.
One of the key features of independent clauses is that they can stand alone as sentences. This means that they do not require any additional information to be completed. By using independent clauses in your writing, you can create simple, clear sentences that convey your message effectively.
Here are some independent clauses examples:
- She loves to paint.
- He is a great writer.
- They travelled to Switzerland last summer.
- The sun is shining.
Dependent Clauses
A set of words that includes a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence is referred to as a dependent clause or a subordinate clause. To construct a full sentence, a dependent clause needs an independent clause. Dependent clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions such as “although,” “because,” “if,” “since,” “when,” and “while.”
Here are some examples of dependent clauses:
- Because I was tired
- Whenever he eats chocolate
- Although she studied hard
- Since it’s raining outside
- Unless you come with me
- If she arrives on time
- Whenever I see her
- Even though they had reservations
- Provided that it’s safe
- In case of emergency
Subordinating conjunctions play a critical role in dependent clauses by connecting them to independent clauses to form complex sentences. By using dependent clauses in your writing, you can add more detail, complexity, and sophistication to your sentences.
Adjective Clauses
When learning how to give writing more precision and detail, the topic “What are clauses?” comes up frequently.
A dependent phrase that serves as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun in a sentence is known as an adjective clause. It provides more information about the noun or pronoun it modifies and helps to add detail and specificity to your writing.
Adjective clauses are typically introduced by relative pronouns such as who, whom, whose, that, or which, or by relative adverbs such as when, where, or why. By using adjective clauses, you can add descriptive details to your sentences and make your writing more interesting and engaging.
For example:
- The book, which was written by my favourite author, is a bestseller.
- The woman, who lives next door, has three dogs and a cat.
- The girl, who won the prize, is my friend.
Adverb Clauses
Adverb clauses are another type of dependent clause that function as adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They typically answer questions such as when, where, why, how, to what extent, or under what conditions something happens.
Now, consider the sentence, “He studied hard because he wanted to pass the test.” The adverb clause “because he wanted to pass the test” explains why he studied hard.
Here are a few more adverb clause examples:
- When: After he finished his homework, he went out to play cricket.
- Where: We’ll meet at the coffee shop where we first met.
- How: He spoke softly so as not to wake the baby.
- To what extent: He ran so fast that he won the race.
Noun Clauses
A noun clause is a type of dependent clause that serves the purpose of a noun in a sentence. It can act as the subject, object, or complement of a verb, or as the object of a preposition. Noun clauses often begin with words like “what,” “who,” “when,” “where,” “why,” or “how.”
Noun clauses can serve various functions in sentences, depending on their placement and the verbs they’re associated with. For instance:
- Subject: What she said made me happy
- Object: She asked me what time it was.
- Complement: His main concern is how to pay the landlord.
- Object of preposition: She’s worried about where to find a job.
Here are some additional examples of noun clauses:
- I don’t understand why she’s so upset.
- The fact that he lied to me hurt my feelings.
- She knows who stole her phone.
- I’m not sure when we’re leaving.
- They’re discussing whether to postpone the meeting.
Relative Clauses
A relative clause is classified as a dependent clause that supplements supplementary information regarding a noun or pronoun within a given sentence. Usually initiated by a relative pronoun, such as “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “that,” or “which,” the clause is regarded as subordinate as it is unable to stand alone as a sentence.
Relative clauses help to add more detail and specificity to a sentence by providing information about the noun or pronoun they modify. For example, in the sentence “The man who is wearing the red shirt is my husband,” the relative clause “who is wearing the red shirt” provides additional information about the man in question.
Relative clause examples:
- The man who lives next door is a chef.
- The flowers that you gave me are still blooming.
- The girl whose brother is a doctor is my best friend.
Example Sentences with Clauses
The inclusion or omission of clauses in a sentence can exert a profound influence on its semantic import and structural organization. Here are a few examples of sentences with clauses:
“After I finish painting the house, I’ll go out to buy groceries.”
This sentence contains two clauses: “After I finish painting the house” and “I’ll go out to buy the groceries.” The first clause is a dependent clause, which means it can’t stand alone as a sentence. It functions as an adverb to show when the speaker will go to buy the groceries. The second clause is an independent clause, which can stand alone as a sentence. It’s the main idea of the sentence, and it’s what the dependent clause is modifying.
“The DVD that I rented from Blockbuster was amazing.”
This sentence contains an adjective clause: “that I rented from Blockbuster.” The adjective clause modifies the noun “DVD” by giving more information about it. Specifically, it tells us which DVD the speaker is referring to.
“Because it was snowing, we stayed indoors and played chess.”
This sentence contains an adverb clause: “Because it was snowing.” The adverb clause modifies the main clause by explaining why the speaker and their friends stayed indoors and played chess. Without the adverb clause, the sentence would be incomplete and the reason for their actions would be unclear.
As you can see, clauses can add depth and complexity to your sentences. By understanding how they function, you can use them effectively to enhance your writing.
Clause vs Phrase
A phrase is a group of words that functions as a unit within a sentence but does not contain both a subject and a verb. Unlike a clause, a phrase cannot stand alone as a sentence.
When it comes to English grammar, understanding the distinction between clause vs phrase is crucial. While both clauses and phrases are important parts of English grammar, the main difference between them is that a clause contains both a subject and a verb and can function as a standalone sentence or be part of a larger sentence, while a phrase cannot.
What is a clause example? Here are some examples of phrases and clauses in sentences.
- Phrase: In the night
- Clause: When I slept in the night.
- Phrase: On the table
- Clause: The book that was on the table
- Phrase: With a smile
- Clause: She smiled at me when I entered the room
By understanding the difference between clauses and phrases, you can improve your writing by using them correctly and effectively.
Common Clause Examples
An understanding of the different types of clauses is fundamental to mastering English grammar. So whats a clause? Clauses are a fundamental building block of sentences and come in a variety of forms. Here’s an overview of some of the most common types of clauses found in English grammar.
- Adjective Clauses: These modify nouns or pronouns and typically begin with a relative pronoun or a relative adverb.
- Adverb Clauses: These modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and often begin with a subordinating conjunction.
- Noun Clauses: These function as a noun and often begin with a subordinating conjunction.
- Independent Clauses: These can stand alone as complete sentences and often express a complete thought.
Examples:
- Adjective clause example: The car, which is red, belongs to my brother.
- Adverb clause example: Since it’s raining, we’ll stay indoors.
- Noun clause example: What she said at the meeting was completely irrelevant.
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Key Takeaways
- Clauses are a fundamental building block of sentences in English grammar.
- Adjective clauses modify nouns or pronouns, adverb clauses modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and noun clauses function as a noun.
- Nouns or pronouns are modified by adjective clauses, which provide details about them. They are introduced by relative pronouns such as “who”, “whom”, “whose”, “that”, or “which”.
- Adverb clauses modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing information about time, place, reason, purpose, or condition. They are introduced by subordinating conjunctions such as “because”, “since”, “although”, “if”, or “when”.
- Noun clauses function as a noun within a sentence, often serving as the subject, object, or complement. They are introduced by words such as “that”, “what”, “who”, “whom”, “whether”, or “if”.
- Understanding the different types of clauses is important for constructing clear and effective sentences.
Quiz
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Frequently Asked Questions
A clause has a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence, while a phrase may contain a subject or a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence.
You can identify a clause in a sentence by looking for a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and can function as a standalone sentence or be part of a larger sentence.
Clauses are punctuated according to their function in a sentence, such as with a comma to separate dependent clauses from independent clauses.
An exclusion clause is a term in a contract that limits or excludes the liability or obligations of one or more parties.
An independent clause may communicate a complete notion and stand alone as a sentence
Yes, there are many exercises and activities to help you understand clauses better, such as multiple-choice questions. Edulyte’s worksheets can be a helpful resource for practising these skills and improving your understanding of clauses.
