Common English Foundation

1

• Common English Foundation

• Subordination Independent and Dependent Clauses
• Noun Clauses
• Adjective clauses and relative pronouns
• Adverb Clauses

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Independent Clauses

• Source http//web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410
  /grammar/adj.htm
• Accessed on 9 October 2005
• If a clause can stand alone as a sentence, it is
  an independent clause
• e.g. President Wu is in Beijing.

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Dependent Clauses

• Some clauses cannot stand alone as a sentence
  and they are dependent clauses or
• subordinate clauses
• e.g. When President Wu is in Beijing,e.g. Beca
  use the weather was dry,
• The examples are not a sentences by themselves,
  since when/ because suggest that the clauses
  are providing explanations for something. (The
  meaning is not complete.)

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• Consider tomorrow in this sentence
• Example (1) The panel will meet tomorrow.
• Tomorrow is an adverb
• Consider replacing the adverb tomorrow in
  example (1) and the sentence becomes
• Example (2) The panel will meet when President
  Wu is in Beijing.
• In example (2) when President Wu is in Beijing
  replaces the adverb and becomes the adverb
  clause. It then forms part of the sentence to
  complete its meaning.

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• Dependent clauses can be found as nouns,
  adjectives and adverbs

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Noun Clauses

• Noun (as object)
• e.g. I know Chinese.
• Noun clause
• e.g. I know that Chinese is becoming more popular
  as a Foreign Language subject.
• Clause 1 Chinese is getting more popular as a
  foreign language subject.Clause 2 I know this.

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• Noun (as subject)
• e.g. Their destination is unknown.
• Noun clause
• e.g. Where they are going is unknown.
• Clause 1 Where are they going?
• Clause 2 It is unknown.

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• In the first example, the noun Chinese acts as
  the direct object of the verb know.
• In the second example, the entire clause that
  Chinese is the direct object.
• Noun clauses can become indirect questions.
• The noun destination is the subject of the verb
  is.
• The question - where are they going? -, with a
  slight change in word order Where they are
  going -, becomes the noun clause and takes the
  place of a noun.

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More examples of noun clauses

• Clause 1 What did you buy at the mall?
• Clause 2 She is happy about it.
• e.g. She is happy about what you bought at the
  mall.
• This noun clause is the object of the
  preposition about and answer the question
  about what?

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• Consider these noun clauses
• e.g. Whoever broke the vase will have to pay for
  it.
• This noun clause is the object of the verb
  will have to pay, and answers the question who
  will have to pay.
• e.g. The Beyond fans do not know whether/ if the
  band will ever perform in public again .
• The noun clause whether the band will ever
  perform in public again is the object of the
  verb phrase do not know and answers the
  question Will the band ever perform in public
  again?

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Summary Subordinators of Noun Clauses

• 1. That-clauses (for statements)
• E.g. That Jason won the competition is
  unbelievable.
• E.g. I know that Jason won the competition.
• 2. Wh-clauses (for questions/ for all conditions)
• E.g. What I dont understand is why they dont
  let me know anything.
• E.g. You will just believe in whatever he said.
• 3. Whether/ If-clauses (for yes/no questions)
• E.g. I am not sure if I can control myself.
• E.g. Whether she truly loves him does not matter
  to me.

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'That' clauses which follow these verbs and
contain the bare infinitive are called the
subjunctive.
advise/ command / demand / insist / order /
propose / recommend / request / require /
stipulate / suggest

• These are verbs or expressions that show urgency
  or necessity.
• I suggest that she be at the meeting. 
• I demand that she come by herself.
• I recommend that your daughter stop drinking.
• It is necessary that you be here on time. 
• The Smiths insisted that we stay for dinner.
• It is important that she send the invitation to
  the judges in person

N.B. The subjective verb form carry no tenses and
no number.
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• Activity A

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Adjective (Relative) Clauses

• An adjective clause is a dependent clause and is
  used to describe a noun
• e.g. The jacket, which was brown, belonged to my
  brother.

A relative pronoun is usually used to introduce
an adjective clause e.g. Maria, who is from
the Philippines, is my domestic helper.
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Grammatical roles of relative pronouns within
relative clauses

• I. Subject Relatives
• A1 The man was small and slender.A2 The man came
  into the room.
• The man that came into the room was small and
  slender./
• The man who came into the room was small and
  slender.
• B1 Did you take the book?B2 The book was on the
  desk.
• Did you take the book that was on the desk?/
• Did you take the book which was on the desk?

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Grammatical roles of relative pronouns within
relative clauses II

• II. Object Relatives
• C1 The book is out of print.
• C2 You wanted me to buy the book for you.
• The book that you wanted me to buy for you is out
  of print.
• The book which you wanted me to buy for you is
  out of print.
• D1 Did you like the woman?D2 You met the woman.
• Did you like the woman that you met?
• Did you like the woman whom you met?

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Grammatical roles of relative pronouns within
relative clauses III

• III. After-preposition relatives
• E1 Where is the person?E2 You talked to the
  person.
• Where is the person that you talked to?
• Where is the person to whom you talked?
• F1 The policy was ridiculous.F2 They agreed on
  the policy.
• The policy that they agreed on was ridiculous.
• The policy on which you agreed was ridiculous.
• IV. Possessive relatives
• G1 The girl is crying.G2 Her bag was stolen
• The girl whose bag was stolen is crying.

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• H1 Have you ever lived in a house?H2 Its roof
  was leaking.
• Have you ever lived in a house whose roof was
  leaking?
• Have you ever lived in a house of which the roof
  was leaking?
• Have you ever lived in a house the roof of which
  was leaking?
• Have you ever lived in a house with a leaking
  roof?

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• Apart from referring to only the word before the
  clause, a relative pronoun may also refer to the
  whole clause before it
• Tom gave me a map of Shanghai, which made me
  really happy.-----------main clause-----------
  
• Compare The city I like best in China is
  Shanghai, which is a coastal city.

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Restrictive and Non-restrictive clauses

• Restrictive relative clauses are also called
  defining relative clauses because they define the
  reference of the antecedent noun. They help to
  identify or classify the person or thing being
  talked about.
• Did you take the book which was on the desk?
• Non-Restrictive (non-Defining) relative clauses
  are not essential to the meaning of the sentence.
  It provides additional information and can be
  removed from the sentence without affecting its
  basic meaning. A non-defining clause is separated
  from the rest of the sentence by a
  comma.Beijing, which is the capital of China,
  is a popular vacation spot.

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Double check your understanding of the structure
of Relative Clauses

• (A) Retorts are made from glass.
• (B) The glass must be fireproof.
• (A) as main clause (retorts as subject/ topic of
  sentence)
• ? Retorts are made from glass which must be
  fireproof.
• (B) as main clause (glass as subject/ topic of
  sentence)
• ? The glass____________________________________
• ? The glass from which retorts are made must be
  fireproof.
• Retort???

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More about relative pronouns

• H1 The hotel is located in Tsim Sha Tsui.H2 They
  stay in the hotel.
• H3 They stay there.
• The hotel that they stay in is located in Tsim
  Sha Tsui.
• The hotel in which they stay is located in Tsim
  Sha Tsui.
• The hotel where they stay is located in Tsim Sha
  Tsui.

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• I1 My mum and dad got married on a day.I2 The
  day was a fine Sunday.
• The day that my mum and dad got married on was a
  fine Sunday.
• The day on which my mum and dad got married was a
  fine Sunday.
• The day when my mum and dad got married was a
  fine Sunday.

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• Activity B

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• When can we omit the relative pronoun?

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Reduction of Relative Clauses

• Method 1 If the relative pronoun is the object,
  it can be omitted.A1 We talked about the party
  which Sarah wants to organise.A2 We talked about
  the party Sarah wants to organise.
• Method 2 If the relative pronoun is the subject,
  omit the subject pronoun and the be form of the
  verb.B1 The ideas which are presented in that
  book are interesting.B2 The ideas presented in
  that book are interesting.
• Method 3 If the relative pronoun is the subject
  and there is no be form of a verb in the
  relative clause, omit the subject pronoun and
  change the verb to its ing form.c1 The
  students who attend the workshops are very
  smart.c2 The students attending the workshops
  are very smart.

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Adverb Clauses

• An adverb clause is a dependent clause which
  takes the place of an adverb.
• Adverb
• The president gave a speech here.
• Adverb clause
• The president gave a speech where all the
  committee members were gathering.
• Usually, subordinating conjunctions like
  "because," "when(ever)," "where(ever)," "since,"
  "after," and "so that," will introduce an adverb
  clause.

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Consider the difference

• Example (1) They left the classroom.
• Example (2) After/after they left the
  classroom./,

Example (1) is an independent clause and can
easily stand alone as a sentence. However,
example (2) cannot because it is a dependent
clause. Its meaning is incomplete and the
question of what happened after they left the
classroom is still pending.
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Type I adverb clause of time

• Use to tell when something happens by
  referring to a period of time or to another event
  as a time indicator.
• Forme.g. Everything is carefully cleaned before
  it is passed to you.e.g. When I was making some
  tea, the phone rang.e.g. Things have improved
  since the inspector wrote his report.e.g. Until
  it happens, you dont have to do anything.e.g.
  As soon as the cameraman starts shooting, I will
  smile.e.g. After I had had some fresh air, I
  felt I could return to the room.

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Type II adverb clause of reason

• Use to indicate the reason for something or an
  action.
• Form e.g. Another television program has been
  banned because it frightens youngsters.e.g.
  Since this is a special occasion, I have decided
  to treat myself to a nice meal.e.g. It was not a
  wise decision as we had not taken into account
  the dramatic rise in house prices.

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Type III adverb clause of concession

• Use to be used when you want to make two
  statements, one of which makes the other seems
  surprising (??)
• Forme.g. Although he is poor, he is very
  happy.e.g. I like this part of London even
  though it has been spoiled.

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Type IV Adverb clause of Contrast

• Use to make two statements, one of which
  contrasts with the other.
• Forme.g. Jamie was tall with reddish hair,
  while Lucy was short with dark hair.e.g. They
  seem to think that force solves every problem,
  whereas you and I know it achieves little or
  nothing.

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Type V adverb clause of purpose

• Use to indicate the purpose of an action.
• Forme.g. The students work very hard so that
  they get a good grade.e.g. The parents work hard
  to provide a good education for their children in
  order that the youngsters have a better future.

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Type VI adverb clause of result

• Use to indicate the result of something or an
  action. (it always come after the main
  clauseorder in time)
• Forme.g. A storm had brought the sea right into
  the house so they had been forced to make their
  escape by a window at the back.e.g. Sometimes
  he was so busy thinking that he forgot to
  eat.e.g. He actually suffered a great
  intolerance for alcohol, such that a single drink
  could produce violent behaviour.

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Type VII adverb clause of manner

• Use to talk about someones behaviour or the way
  something is done.
• Forme.g. In the end I could always do as my mum
  suggested.e.g. You talk as if you knew her
  well.e.g. They looked at me as though I had done
  something wrong.

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Type VIII adverb clause of place

• Use to talk about the location or position or
  something
• Forme.g. He left it where it lay. e.g. Where
  Kate had stood last night, Maurice now stood.

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Type IX adverb clause of contrasting conditions

• Use To concede any number of possible
  conditions.
• Forme.g. They said we were to stay here whether
  we like it or not.e.g. Whichever way they use,
  they have to follow the rule.e.g. He always woke
  up early no matter how late he had gone to bed.

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Type X adverb clause of condition
(Conditional Sentences)Use to talk about a
possible situation and its consequences.

• Form
• Type I ifpresent v., willv. future, likely
  ?????
• e.g. If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the
  picnic.e.g. Unless you tell me why, I wont let
  you have it.
• Type II Ifpast v., would v. present,
  unlikely ?????e.g. If I won 10 million, I would
  buy a jet.e.g. If I were you, I would say yes.
• Type III Ifhad p.p., would have p.p.
  past,unreal?????e.g. If I had worked harder, I
  would have passed the exam.e.g. If she hadnt
  left the shoe, the prince would have lost her
  forever.
• Type 0 Ifpresent, present V. truth or
  command ?????e.g. If you pour oil on water, it
  floats.e.g. If my boyfriend calls, tell him Im
  taking a shower.If As long as/ Provided that/
  Assuming that/ Suppose

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Exercise

• 1. If Michael had lived longer, he would have
  done something important.2. If the driver had
  stopped in time, the child would not have been
  killed.3. If the driver had not stopped in
  time, the child would have been killed.In 1,
  Did Michael live longer? Did he do something
  important?In 2, Did the driver stop in time? Was
  the child killed?How about in 3?

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• Activity C

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More about Adverb Clauses

• Although/But
• e.g. Although Mary helped others to revise, she
  failed the test.
• e.g. Mary helped others to revise but she failed
  the test.
• Note that although and but CANNOT be used
  together in a sentence! Can you tell why?

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More about Adverb Clauses

• What are the differences among
• Even,
• Even if
• Even though ?

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Even if/ though (Conjunction)

• Used as subordinating conjunctions in spite of
  the fact or belief that no matter whether.e.g.
  Even if I have to walk all the way Ill get
  there.e.g. I like her even though she can be
  annoying.
• Even though despite the fact that
• e.g. Even though Paul doesnt speak good
  English, I think he should visit England.
  (speaker knows that Paul doesnt speak good
  English)
• Even if whether or not
• e.g. Even if Paul doesnt speak good English, it
  shouldnt spoil his visit to England. (speaker
  doesnt know if Paul speaks good English or not)

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Even (Adverb)

• 1. used to emphasize sth unexpected or surprising
  in what one is saying, or to invite a comparison
  with what might have happened etc)e.g. He never
  even opened the letter (so he certainly didnt
  read it.)e.g. He didnt answer even my letter(so
  he certainly didnt answer any others.)e.g. It
  was cold there even in July (so it must have been
  very cold in winter.)e.g. Even a child can
  understand the book (so adults certainly can.)
• 2. used to emphasize a comparative still
  yet.e.g. You know even less about it than I
  do.e.g. Sally drives fast, but Julia drives even
  faster.e.g. Shes even more intelligent than her
  sister.
• 3. used to add force to a more exact or precise
  version of a word/ phrase.  e.g. Its an
  unattractive building, even ugly.

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More about Adverb Clauses

• Whats the difference between
• so and so that?

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So adverb clause of result (1)

• e.g. A storm had brought the sea right into the
  house, so they had been forced to make their
  escape by a window at the back.
• e.g. My suitcase had been damaged on the journey
  so the lid could not stay closed.

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So that adverb clause of purpose

• e.g. He took her arm and hurried her upstairs so
  that they wouldn't be overheard.
• e.g. He explained the concept with pictures so
  that a 10-year-old can understand it.
• Comparea. The students work hard so that they
  can get a good grade.b. The students worked hard
  so they got a good grade.

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Sothat adverb clause of result (2)

• e.g. Sometimes he was so busy thinking that he
  forgot to eat.
• e.g. I know him so well that I am not surprised
  by this news.
• e.g. The champagne was of such good quality that
  she had drunk more than she should have.
• e.g. The mind reflects on itself in such a way
  that we become conscious of consciousness.

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• What is the difference among
• During/ While/ When?