Clause

A clause may be defined as “Any structure that typically consists of a subject and a verb”.

For example:

She laughed.

They wept.

He cried.

In an imperative sentence, the subject is generally absent, but implied.

For example:

Sit (You sit)

Run away (You run away)

Simple sentence can be called a clause (I like mangoes).

A clause is a construction within a larger construction or a sentence within a longer sentence.

For example:

The boy, who is sitting there, is my brother.

The book, which I bought yesterday, is lost.

The underlined words form clauses as a part of larger construction.

As such, all sentences are clauses but not all clauses are necessarily sentences.

See the difference in the following sentences:

1. The boy was running away.

2. When the boy ran away,

3. As the boy ran away,

Sentence No. 2 and 3 do not give complete sense, even though they each have a subject and a verb.

Because of their weakness, they are called dependent clauses or sub-ordinate clauses.

To give complete sense, they must be attached to some clause that can stand alone—called independent clause or principal clause. Sub-ordinate clauses contain less important information than main clauses.

• Main and subordinate clauses

Kinds of Clause:

1. Main clause

2. Dependent clause

1. Main clause:

A clause that can stand by itself and convey full meanings is called main clause. It is also called independent clause or principal clause.

For example:

I take exercise daily.

He writes a letter.

We like swimming.

 Main clause or independent clause does not depend upon another clause to make good sense.

2. Dependent clause:

Dependent clauses are weak. They cannot stand by themselves and make good sense. They must be combined with another clauses that can stand by themselves. A dependent clause always contains a subject and a verb but it does not convey the full meanings.

For example:

I do not know that he has passed.

He worked hard but failed.

Dependent clauses are further divided into two categories:

1. Co-ordinate clauses

2. Sub-ordinate clauses

1. Co-ordinate clauses:

Co-ordinate clauses are joined by words by coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, so, for, nor, or, yet etc.

For example:

He worked hard but failed.

I went there and played cricket. 

2. Sub-ordinate clauses:

Sub-ordinate clauses are joined with independent clauses by subordinating conjunctions such as because, since, although, if, when, as, which, that, who etc.

For example:

While you were sleeping, the bell rang.

He cannot come to the college because he is ill. 

Kinds of Sub-ordinate clauses:

There are three kinds of sub-ordinate clauses:

1. Adjective clause

2. Noun clause

3. Adverb clause

1. Adjective clause:

Adjective clause is a clause that modifies nouns and occasionally pronouns.  They usually begin with relative pronouns—that, which, whom, who etc.

Almost always adjective clause follows the noun it modifies.

For example:

In the zoo, we saw a lion which was roaring.

He is the man who came here yesterday.

The purse, that I bought yesterday, is lost.

He is my brother whom you met yesterday.

2. Noun clause