Download Clauses

Clauses: How Do I Figure Them Out?
1. There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. The difference between a clause
and a phrase is that a clause contains both a subject and a verb; a phrase does not.
2. Independent clauses can be sentences by themselves because they have a subject and a verb
and they express a complete thought.
3. Dependent clauses cannot be sentences by themselves. Dependent clauses function as
modifiers (adjectives or adverbs) or as nouns.
4. Adjective clauses are the easiest to spot because they normally follow the noun they modify,
and they typically start with a relative pronoun that stands for the noun being modified. Since
there are only five relative pronouns (that, which, who, whose, and whom), they’re usually not
that difficult to spot.
Sometimes adjective clauses start with a relative adverb as in the following sentences:
a. The salon where I get my haircut recently moved to a new location. (The dependent clause
“where I get my haircut” modifies “salon.”
b. The moment when I hear anything, I’ll call you. (The dependent clause “when I hear
anything” modifies “moment.”)
5. Adverb clauses begin with a subordinating conjunction. There’s a long list of these, but they
frequently answer one of the adverb questions (for instance, whenever, until, during, and after
answer the question When?; because answers Why?; etc.). Typically adverb clauses either
begin or end a sentence. If an adverb clause begins a sentence, there will be a comma after the
adverb clause and before the independent clause (DC, IC). There is no comma if the adverb
clause ends the sentences (IC DC). (The last two sentences illustrate these points.)
6. Noun clauses are often imbedded inside independent clauses because they often serve as
essential elements (subjects, objects, or predicate nominatives). They can also be objects of
prepositions.
7. All words in a sentence belong in one clause or another. The exception to this is when a
sentence is compound and two independent clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction. In
this case the coordinating conjunction isn’t part of either clause.
8. Adjective and adverb clauses are never part of the independent clause (unless the adjective
clause is a PA) because they are modifiers and not essential elements. Noun clauses, on the
other hand, are usually imbedded within an independent clause because they usually are
essential elements in the sentence OR they are imbedded inside of a prepositional phrase that
is modifying one of the words within the independent clause.