THE CLAUSE The building block of sentences. 1. What is a clause? A clause is a group of words that...
-
Upload
hilda-tamsyn-simpson -
Category
Documents
-
view
233 -
download
3
Transcript of THE CLAUSE The building block of sentences. 1. What is a clause? A clause is a group of words that...
What is a clause?
• A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.
• It may or may not be a complete sentence.
2
Examples of Clauses
• whenever I eat cheese
• the students danced at the prom
• because Virginia is my home
• do not leave home without it
3
Why are they clauses?
All groups of words have both subjects and verbs.
•whenever I eat cheese Subject verb
•the students danced at the prom subject verb
•because Virginia is my home subject verb
•(you) do not leave home without it subject verb phrase
4
A clause is not a phrase.
A clause has a subject and verb relationship.
After the morning announcements are over
A phrase does not have a subject and verb relationship.
After the morning
announcements
6
Dependent Clause (DC)
• group of related words• has a subject• has a verb• is NOT a complete sentence• begins with a relative
pronoun or subordinating conjunction
8
Subordinating Conjunctions
after beforeunless
although how untilas if whenas if in order that
wheneveras long as since whereas soon as so that whereveras though than whetherbecause even though while
10
Examples of Dependent Clauseswith Subordinating Conjunctions
• After we go to school sub. Conj. Subject verb
• Because Jane likes to read sub. Conj. Subject verb
• If my friend needs help sub. Conj. Subject verb
• As though Mr. Smith is crazy sub. Conj. Subject verb
• As soon as I finish my homework sub. Conj. Subject verb
11
Dependent Clauses that begin with Relative Pronouns
• whichever can go the fastest rel. pron. & subject verb phrase
• which includes many pages rel. pron. & subject verb
• who will understand the problem re. pron. & subject verb phrase
• that test was the easiest rel. pron. subject verb
(Note: the relative pronoun serves as the subject)
13
Beware: Sentence Fragments
Because I like all kinds of music.
This is a sentence fragment because it does not express a complete thought; it’s just a DC.
14
DCs are never sentences! If you do not finish the sentence, then the DC is a sentence fragment.
Because I like all kinds of music, my Ipod is filled with everything from country to hip hop music.
This is a complete sentence.
Independent Clause (IC)
• group of related words
• has a subject• has a verb• can stand alone as
its own sentence
15
Examples of Independent Clauses
• Sara and John climbed the mountain subject verb
• I lied subject verb
• a cockroach will live nine days without subject verb phrase
its head• coyotes communicate with 11 different subjects verb
sounds
17
Simple SentencesSimple
sentences , or ICs, can be short or long.
A simple sentence may have phrases but just one clause.
• Melt!• Ice melts.• The ice melts quickly.• The ice on the river melts
quickly under the warm March sun.
• Lying exposed without its blanket of snow, the ice on the river melts quickly under the warm March sun.
19
Review
Clause
Dependent Independent
Has a subjectHas a verb
Can be a sentence
Has a subject Has a verb
Cannot be a sentence
20