Clauses and Sentence Structure

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Clauses and Sentence Structure
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What is a clause?

• A clause is a group of related words that has
  both a subject and predicate.
• There are two types of clauses
• Independent
• Dependent

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What is a clause?

• Independent (main clause)
• Expresses a complete thought
• Can stand alone
• Example I like ice cream.
• Dependent (subordinate clause)
• Does NOT express a complete thought
• Can NOT stand alone
• Example Because I like ice cream

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Independent (Main) Clauses

• The baby cried.

The dog barked loudly.
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Subordinate Clauses
When causes the clause to be unable to stand
alone.

• When the baby cried,

the dog barked loudly.
dependent (subordinate) clause
independent (main) clause
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Subordinate Clauses
Because causes the clause to be unable to stand
alone.

• The baby cried

because the dog barked loudly.
independent (main) clause
dependent (subordinate) clause
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Dependent Clauses

• Dependent (subordinate) clauses can start with
  subordinating conjunctions.
• Subordinating conjunctions cause the clause to be
  unable to stand alone.
• Examples
• He was excited. (independent clause)
• Although he was excited (dependent/subordinate
  clause)

The word although is a subordinating conjunction,
which causes the clause to be dependent
(subordinate), unable to stand alone.
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Subordinating Conjunctions

• A
• W
• H
• I
• T
• E
• B
• U
• S

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Subordinating Conjunctions

• A (after, although, as, as if)
• W (when, while, where, whenever)
• H (how)
• I (if)
• T (than, though)
• E (even though)
• B (because, before)
• U (until, unless)
• S (since, so that, so)

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Dependent Clauses

• Dependent (subordinate) clauses can also start
  with relative pronouns who, whoever, whom,
  whomever, whose, that, which, whichever, what,
  whatever.
• Relative pronouns often function as the subject
  of the dependent clause.
• Example
• The guy asked me out. (independent clause)
• The guy who is wearing the blue jacket asked me
  out.

The word who is a relative pronoun, which begins
the dependent clause within the independent
clause.
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Dependent Clauses

• Dependent clauses can also start with relative
  adverbs (when, where, why).
• Example
• That restaurant is a great place to eat.
  (independent clause)
• That restaurant where we ate yesterday is a great
  place to eat.

The word where is a relative adverb, which begins
the dependent clause within the independent
clause.
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Find the subordinate clauses!
Relative pronoun

• A man who is very weird keeps bothering me.
• A man who is very weird keeps bothering me.
• When he bothered me the last time, I wanted to
  scream!
• When he bothered me the last time, I wanted to
  scream!
• I couldnt scream because I was in a public
  place.
• I couldnt scream because I was in a public
  place.
• I started to go home where I could get away from
  him.
• I started to go home where I could get away from
  him.

Subordinating conjunction
Subordinating conjunction
Relative adverb
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Types of Sentences

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Simple Sentence

• Contains one main (independent) clause and NO
  subordinate clauses
• May contain compound (two or more) subjects and
  predicates
• Examples
• Bill and Ted got lost.
• They had a great adventure and explored the
  state.

Compound subjects (Bill, Ted)
Compound predicate (had, explored)
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Compound Sentence

• Contains two or more main (independent) clauses
  and NO subordinate clauses
• Joined by a comma AND FANBOYS OR semicolon OR
  semicolon conjunctive adverb comma
• Compound sentence
• independent clause independent clause
• Examples
• Bill and Ted got lost, and they explored the city
  and had a great adventure.
• Bill and Ted got lost they explored the city and
  had a great adventure.

FANBOYS AND comma OR semicolon OR semicolon
conjunctive adverb comma
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Complex Sentence

• Contains one main (independent) clause and at
  least one subordinate (dependent) clauses
• Complex sentence
• independent (main) clause subordinate
  (dependent) clause
• Examples
• When Bill and Ted got lost, they explored the
  city and had a great adventure.
• Bill and Ted got lost after they explored the
  city and had a great adventure.
• Bill and Ted, who are cousins, got lost, explored
  the city, and had a great adventure.
• Bill and Ted had a great adventure in the city
  where they got lost and explored.

Subordinating conj.
Subordinating conj.
Relative pronoun
Relative adverb
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Compound/Complex Sentences

• Contains two or more main (independent) clauses
  and one or more subordinate (dependent) clauses
• Compound / complex sentence
• independent (main) clause independent (main)
  clause subordinate (dependent) clause
• Example
• Because Bill and Ted got lost, they explored the
  city and had a great adventure, but now they
  carry a map.

comma AND FANBOYS OR semicolon OR semicolon
conjunctive adverb comma
Subordinate (dependent) clause
Two independent clauses joined by comma and but
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She sanded the table until it was smooth,
stain-free, and ready to be painted.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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She sanded the table until it was smooth,
stain-free, and ready to be painted.
In the sentence above, the underlined part is the
independent clause. The red part is the
subordinate clause, which starts with until (SC).
The FANBOYS and does NOT join independent
clauses. One subordinate clause and one
independent clause makes it a complex sentence.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Copper, tin, and other metals are combined to
make bronze.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Copper, tin, and other metals are combined to
make bronze.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

In the sentence above, the underlined part is the
independent clause. The FANBOYS and does NOT join
independent clauses (it joins compound nouns).
One independent clause makes it a simple sentence.
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Then iron was developed, and bronze became far
less important because it was too expensive.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Then iron was developed, and bronze became far
less important because it was too expensive.
In the sentence above, the underlined parts are
the independent clauses. The red part is the
subordinate clause, which starts with because
(SC). Two independent clauses joined by a comma
FANBOYS and plus a subordinate clause makes it a
compound-complex sentence.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Amanda did not always enjoy the many hours of
piano practice, but they were necessary since the
instrument is so complicated.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Amanda did not always enjoy the many hours of
piano practice, but they were necessary since the
instrument is so complicated.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

In the sentence above, the underlined parts are
the independent clauses. The red part is the
subordinate clause, which starts with since (SC).
Two independent clauses joined by a comma FANBOYS
but plus a subordinate clause makes it a
compound-complex sentence.
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Martina takes her knitting whenever she goes to
the doctor and makes scarves and hats for needy
children while she waits.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Martina takes her knittingwhenever she goes to
the doctor and makes scarves and hats for needy
children while she waits.
In the sentence above, the underlined parts make
up ONE independent clause. The red parts are the
subordinate clauses, which start with whenever
(SC) and while (SC). The FANBOYS and do NOT join
independent clauses. One dependent clause and
two subordinate clauses make it a complex
sentence.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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After eating dinner and washing the dishes, Bob
and Sue decided to see a movie.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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After eating dinner and washing the dishes, Bob
and Sue decided to see a movie.
In the sentence above, the underlined part is the
independent clause. The FANBOYS and do NOT join
independent clauses. One independent clause makes
it a simple sentence.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Clauses can be difficult however, they can be
understood with much practice.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

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Clauses can be difficult however, they can be
understood with much practice.

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex

In the sentence above, the underlined parts are
independent clauses. They are joined by a
semicolon however (conjunctive adverb) comma,
which is a compound sentence pattern.