Clauses
In grammar, a Clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It’s like a small sentence within a larger sentence. Clauses can express a complete thought on their own or work together with other clauses to form more complex sentences. A Clause is a group of words containing a subject and predicate and functioning as a member of a complex or compound sentence’.
For example, in the sentence: “She loves ice cream,” the clause is “She loves.” It has a subject “she” and a verb “loves,” and it expresses a complete idea.
Types
There are two main types of clauses in grammar:
1. Main Clause/Independent Clause:
An independent clause is like a complete sentence on its own. It has a subject and a verb and can express a full idea. It doesn’t need any other clauses to make sense. For example: “I like to read books.”
2. Subordinate Clause/Dependent Clause:
A dependent clause is like an incomplete sentence. It also has a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone as a sentence. It relies on an independent clause to complete its meaning. For example: “Because I was hungry.” This clause needs an independent clause to make sense, like “I ate a sandwich because I was hungry.”
Independent clauses can stand alone, while dependent clauses need another clause to complete their meaning.
Examples
Independent Clauses:
- She went to the park.
- They are studying for exams.
- The sun is shining brightly.
- We played soccer all afternoon.
- He enjoys watching movies.
- I like to eat ice cream.
- The cat chased a mouse.
- Sarah baked a delicious cake.
- They won the championship.
- I need to go to the grocery store.
Dependent Clauses:
- Because I was tired,
- After the rain stopped,
- Since he didn’t study,
- When she arrives at the airport,
- Unless they finish their work,
- As the day goes by,
- Although it was cold outside,
- While I was waiting for the bus,
- Whenever he calls me,
- If you need any help,
Remember, these dependent clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences. They require an independent clause to make a full and meaningful sentence.
also see:
ONLINE GRAMMAR QUIZZES with CERTIFICATES |
ENGLISH GRAMMAR_1 |
ENGLISH GRAMMAR_2 |
GRAMMAR: SPOT THE ERROR |
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING |
WORD FORMATION PROCESSES |
PHONETICS |
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