The Sunday News
CLAUSES, like phrases, are groups of related words but unlike phrases, they have a subject and a verb. Key concept: A clause is a group of words with its own subject and a verb.
Independent and subordinate: These are two basic kinds of clauses; independent and subordinate clauses. An independent clause can stand by itself as a complete sentence. All complete sentences must contain at least one independent clause. A subordinate clause cannot stand by itself as a complete sentence. It can only be part of a sentence.
For example: We visited Germany which is a country in Europe, for two weeks. Because he woke up late, he missed the flight.
They have decided that you study more. There are three different kinds of subordinate clauses: adjectives, adverbs and nouns.
Adjective clauses modify nouns or pronouns in ways often not possible with one-word adjectives or adjective phrases.
An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or pronoun, by telling what kind or which one. Adjective clauses usually begin with a relative pronoun such as that, which, who, whom or whose. Sometimes they may begin with a relative adverb, such as before, since, when, where, or why.
Adjective clauses are set off by commas,only when they are not essential to the meaning of a sentence. Relative pronouns – A relative pronoun has two functions in a sentence with an adjective clause.
First it connects the adjective to the word the clause modifies. Secondly, it acts with the clause as a subject, direct object, object of a preposition or adjective.
Relative pronouns connect adjective clauses to the words they modify and act as a subject, direct objects of preposition or adjectives in the clauses used or direct object in a clause. The city that is the largest is Harare. Use a direct object in a clause:
The movie (that) you recommended is no longer playing. Used as a direct object of a preposition in a clause – The person of whom you spoke is my friend.
Sometimes a relative pronoun is left out of an adjective clause. The missing word, nevertheless, is understood and still functions in the sentence. For example, the flowers (that) he bought made him sneeze. The relatives (whom) they visited were cousins. Relative adverbs, where and when –connect adjective clauses to the words they modify and act as adverbs in the clauses.
Unlike the relative pronoun, the relative adverb has only one use with the clause. It acts only as an adverb.
The settlers cleared a plot of land where they could build. Adverb clauses: In addition to acting as adjectives, subordinate can act as adverbs. An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, an adverb or a verbal by telling where, when, in what way, to what extent, under what condition or why?
All adverb clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions. Here is a list of commonly used subordinating conjunctions. For example: after, although, even though, unless, if, until, as, in order that, when, as if, since, whenever, as long as, so that, where, because, than, whenever, before, though, and while.
Sentences classified by structure – All sentences can be classified in two ways. First ,they can be classified by structure – that is by the number and types of clauses they contain. Second, they can be classified by function – that is by whether they state ideas, ask questions, give orders or express surprise.
The four structures of sentences –There are two kinds of clauses, independent and subordinate. These can be used to form four basic sentence structures: simple, compound, complex and compound complex. Key concept: A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause.
Although a simple sentence is just one independent clause with one subject and one verb, the subject, verb, or both may be compound. A simple sentence may also have modifying phrases and complements. However, it cannot have a subordinate clause. A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses.
The clauses in a compound can be joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) or by a semicolon (:). Like a simple sentence, a compound sentence contains no subordinate clauses. Examples: A Sotho bride carries a beaded doll at her wedding, and she keeps the same cloth for a year.
Stanley read the novel on Friday, he wrote his essay today. A complete sentence consists of one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses. The independent clause in a complex sentence is often called the main clause to distinguish it from the subordinate clause or clauses. The subject and the verb in the independent clause are called the subject of the sentence and the main verb.
The second example shows that a subordinate clause may fall between the part of a main clause.
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