A clause is the smallest grammatical unit that expresses a thought and consists of a subject and a verb .
What is a Clause in a Sentence?
- In simplest form a clause is a subject plus a verb.
- The subject is the entity “doing” the action of the sentence .
- The verb is the action that subject completes.
- A clause creates a complete thought (an idea or a statement that can stand alone).
A complete thought is also called a Main Clause or Independent Clause (IC).
Examples of clauses:
- Subject + verb. = complete thought (IC)
- I eat. = complete thought (IC)
- Sanjay speaks. = complete thought (IC)
A clause may include the verb predicate as well. But, it must include at least the subject and verb to be considered a clause.
Examples of clauses:
- Subject + verb (predicate). = complete thought (IC)
- I eat bananas. = complete thought (IC)
- Sanjay speaks polietly. = complete thought (IC)
It should be noted, too, that a clause in a sentence is different from a phrase in that it must contain a subject and a verb.
What is an Independent Clause?
- An Independent clause can stand alone in a sentence.
- It contains a subject and a verb in its smallest form.
- A clause may also include modifiers and a verb predicate.
- It is a complete thought and the smallest unit of grammar that is syntactically accurate.
Example of Independent Clauses:
- Subject + verb (predicate). = complete thought (IC)
- I eat bananas. = complete thought (IC)
- Sanjay speaks polietly.= complete thought (IC)
In writing, words and modifiers can be rearranged in independent clauses to create interest.
Example of Independent Clauses:
- I eat bananas in the kitchen.
- In the kitchen, I eat.
Here, “I eat” is the subject and verb. An object (“bananas”) and a prepositional phrase (“in the kitchen”) have been added to the clause to make it more specific. The entire sentence is an independent clause because it is a complete thought statement.
What is a Dependent Clauses?
Dependent clauses contain a subject and verb. However, they cannot stand alone as an independent thought. They must be joined with an independent clause to be grammatically correct.
Example of Dependent Clause:
- Every night before I go to bed, I pray to God.
This example contains the IC, “ I pray to God”. However, a dependent clause now opens the sentence. While the dependent clause contains a subject and a verb (“I go”), the dependent clause itself cannot stand alone a complete thought.
Example of Dependent Clause:
- Every night before I go to bed
This is not a complete thought and therefore not a sentence in English.
Every night before I go to bed…...What happens?
This idea must be joined with an independent clause to be grammatically correct.
More Types of Clauses
What is a Noun Clause?- A Noun clause is a type of dependent clause that acts as a noun in the sentence.
- A noun clause will always contain a subject and a verb. However, it cannot stand alone as a complete thought.
Example of Noun Clause:
- I remember what you said yesterday.
Here, the underlined portion is the independent clause that can stand alone. The italicized words, “what you said yesterday,” serve as a dependent noun clause.
The noun clause is acting as the object of the sentence. In the noun clause “you said” is a subject plus a verb. This creates the clause (a subject plus a verb). However, “what you said yesterday” cannot stand alone and therefore must be paired with an independent clause.
Additional noun clause examples:
- I thought what she wore was so trendy.
- Whomever you confide in is a person you can trust.
- An Adjective clause is a type of dependent clause that acts as an adjective in the sentence.
- An adjective clause will always contain a subject and a verb. However, it cannot stand alone as a complete thought.
An adjective clause will always begin with one of the following words:
Relative Pronouns List:
- that
- where
- who
- whom
- which
Relative Adverbs List:
- when
- where
- why
Example of Adjective Clause:
- The boy who you saw at the store committed a robbery.
The adjective clause is acting as an adjective in this sentence. The adjective clause describes the boy. It contains a subject and a verb, “you saw.” However, it cannot stand alone as a complete thought. “Who you saw at the robbery” is not a complete statement.
Additional adjective clause examples:
- The store that the boy robbed is on the corner.
- The corner of the street where my family lives is surrounded by investigators.
- An Adverbial Clause is a type of dependent clause that acts as an adverb in the sentence.
- An adverbial clause will always contain a subject and a verb. However, it cannot stand alone as a complete thought.
Example of Adverbial Clause:
- You will continue driving north until you see a stop sign.
The adverbial clause is acting as an adverb in this sentence.The adverbial clause modifies how you will drive. The adverbial clause contains a subject and verb, “you will continue.” However, it cannot stand alone as a complete thought. “Until you see a stop sign” is not a complete statement.
Additional adverbial clause examples:
- After the movie ended, we ate ice cream.
- Beth visits her grandfather whenever she is in town.
- A clause is a subject plus a verb.
- Two types of clauses are main/independent clause and dependent clause.
- An independent clause can stand alone as a complete thought.
- A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone.