Clauses

A clause can be defined as a group of words which has

 a subject and a predicate (verb + rest of sentence telling something about a subject) combination

                       or

 a subject - verb combination.

A clause can be

 a part of sentence to provide additional information about the main event of the main clause

 or

can stand alone to give a complete sense.

For example,

  • I like to help others but she likes to tease the poor.

Here,

 we have two clauses in this sentence:

Clause 1 – I like to help others.

Clause 2- She likes to tease the poor.

Both clauses

 are joined with a coordinating conjunction ‘but’

Both have a complete sense with subject - predicate combination each. (None of them is adding any supporting information about the cause of the other)

Ex. 2

  • I am late because I lost my bus.

Here,

Clause 1 – I am late.

Clause 2 – because I lost my bus.

Clause 1 is making a complete sense thus, it is the main or Principal clause

Clause 2 with subordinating conjunction ‘because’ it is adding some important information about the cause of the main event or telling about the cause of late.

So, it is subordinate clause.

Types of clauses

There are mainly two types of clauses in a sentence

  • Coordinating clause
  • Subordinating clause

Coordinate clause:

 Coordinate clauses have equal status in a sentence.

They are not dependent upon each other to give a complete meaning.  Thus, each can be called the Principle clause ( independent of one another)

One clause does not provide any informational support to the main event of the sentence.

For e.g.

  • She worked hard but she failed.

Clause 1 ‘She worked hard’

Clause 2 ‘she failed’

Both clauses are joined with the coordinating conjunction ‘but’

Here,

clause 1 and clause 2 both are independent as clause 2 is not adding any supporting information to clause 1 or telling about the  cause of the event of the clause 1 or Vise - versa

Coordinating clause are introduced by coordinating conjunction such as

As , and, but, yet, still, so, therefore, or, otherwise, not only – but also etc.

Subordinate clause:  

Subordinate clause does not have equal status as the principal clause in a sentence. It provides supporting information about the main event of the sentence.

For e.g.

I don’t know what he does.

Here,

‘What he does’  is adding some information to main event of the main clause or telling about What is not known to the speaker.

Hence,

It is subordinating clause.

Subordinate clauses  are introduced with subordinating conjunctions, the  words that link dependent clauses to independent clauses, such as for, as, since, therefore, hence, consequently, though, due to, provided that, because, unless, once, while, when, whenever, where, wherever, before, and after.

They can also begin with relative pronouns such as that, which, who, whom, whichever, whoever, whomever, and whose.

Some more examples

  1. I cannot work while you are talking.
  2. If you don’t work hard, you will fail
  3. I don’t know what would I do in life.

Here,

“While you are talking”, “ If you don’t work hard”, “what would I do in life” all are subordinating clauses as they are providing some information about the cause of the main clause (Independent clause).

Kinds Of Sub-Ordinate Clauses

There are three kinds of Sub- ordinate clauses:

  1. Noun Clause  - does the work of Noun
  2. Adjective Clause – does the work  of an adjective
  3. Adverb clause – does the work of an Adverb

Ex.

  • I knows where he goes.

‘where he goes.’  - Noun clause

( telling what is known by the subject)

  • I know the bag which she lost.

‘which she lost’  – Adjective Clause.

( describing a Noun ‘bag' I.e.

Which bag? The bag which is lost by her.)

  • I shall go where he lives.

‘where he lives’ – Adverb clause

( describing the verb ‘go’ I.e.

Where ? The place where he lives.)

Noun clause

Noun clause works as a Noun in a sentence

A noun clause is introduced by :

  • Question words

Where, what, how, who, when etc.

  • Conjunction

That

  • If or whether

A noun  clause always gives Answer of ‘What’.

So,

It can function as

  1. A subject

Ex.

  • How she survived is still a mystery.

What is mystery?

Ans. How she survived.- Noun clause

  • What will happen in future is uncertain.

What is uncertain?

Ans. What will happen in future. – Noun clause

  • Which dress she will choose is not known to me.

What is not known?

Ans. Which dress she will choose.- Noun clause

  1. An object

Ex.

  • She promised that she will lend a helping hand.

What she promised?

ANS. she will lend a helping hand.- Noun clause

  • They will do whatever is told them.

What  will they do?

Ans. Whatever is told  them. - Noun clause

  1. Prepositional object

I am not dependent upon what is given to me.

Upon What the speaker is not dependent?

ANS. what is given to him.- Noun clause

She is impressed by What is presented to her

 By what she is impressed?

Ans.  By What is presented to her.- Noun clause

  1. Complement of an Adjective:

I am not sure where he has gone.

 For what the speaker is not sure?

Ans. where he has gone. - noun clause

They are confident that they will find out the thief.

About what they were confident?

Ans. that they will find out the thief – noun clause
It is doubtful whether she will reach in time.

What is doubtful?

Ans. whether she will reach in time. – Noun clause

  1. Object to an infinitive, a gerund and a participle.

Object of Gerund

He believes in doing whatever he has to do.

What does he believe?

Ans. doing whatever he has to do.- Noun clause

Object of an Infinitive

I am glad to know that he is arriving.

Speaker is glad to know about what?

Ans. that he is arriving. - Noun clause

Object of Participle

I found her complaining what she received?

What has been found by the speaker?

Ans. complaining what she received - Noun clause

Adjective clause

An adjective clause works as an adjective  and qualifies or modifies  a noun 

It always answers ‘ which person’ or ‘which thing’

It is introduced by:

  • Relative pronouns

Who, whom, which, that, whose etc.

Ex.

  1. The boy who is outside is my brother.

Which boy?

 Ans. Who is outside.  - adjective clause

  1. God helps those who help themselves.

Which people?

Ans. Those who help themselves.- Adjective clause

  • Relative adverbs which defines a place time or reason like:

Where, when, why  etc

Ex.

  1. This is the house where I spent my childhood?

 Which house?

Ans. Where the childhood is spent. - Adjective clause

  1. It is the season when paddy is harvested?

Which season?

Ans. when paddy is harvested. - Adjective clause

     Adverb clause

An adverb clause does the work of an adverb.

It modifies an adverb, an adjective or a verb.

It is introduced by:

Subordinating conjunction:

When, whenever, while, before, after, till, until, as soon as, as long as, since etc.

Ex.

  • She returned when she heard the news of the accident.

“when she heard the news of the accident.” – modifies the Verb ‘returned’

  • He is too selfish that he doesn’t even help his brother.

that he doesn’t even help his brother. – modifies the adjective ‘selfish’

  • She shouted so loudly that everyone started gazing at her.

 that everyone started gazing at her. – modifies the adverb ‘loudly’