Clauses

• A clause is a group of words with a subject and a predicate.
• Clause functions as a part of a sentence or as a sentence itself.
• An independent clause has a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as a sentence.
• A dependent clause also has a subject and a predicate but cannot stand on its own as a sentence because it does not have a complete thought.
• A dependent clause is introduced by a subordinating conjunction.
• A sentence that contains an independent and a dependent clause is called a complex sentence.
• A noun clause is a dependent clause used as a noun within the main clause.
• A noun clause can be the subject, indirect object, direct object, object of a preposition, or predicate nominative.
• Noun clauses are usually introduced by the following conjunctions: that, what, whatever, who, whoever, whom, whomever, where, which, and why.
• An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
• An adjective clause usually comes after the noun or pronoun it modifies.
• Adjective clauses are introduced by the relative pronouns who, whom, whose, that and which, or where and when.
• An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It is introduced by subordinating conjunctions.