Clause Flashcards
1
Q
Clauses
A
Clauses are groups of words that contain a subject and a predicate. They are the building blocks of sentences and can express a complete thought or be dependent on another clause. There are two main types of clauses:
- Independent Clauses: Also known as main clauses, independent clauses can stand alone as complete sentences because they express a complete thought. They typically contain a subject and a predicate. For example: “She sings beautifully.” In this sentence, “She” is the subject and “sings beautifully” is the predicate.
- Dependent Clauses: Also known as subordinate clauses, dependent clauses rely on an independent clause for meaning and cannot stand alone as complete sentences. They often begin with subordinating conjunctions (such as “because,” “although,” “when”) or relative pronouns (such as “who,” “which,” “that”). For example: “I will go to the party if I finish my work.” In this sentence, “if I finish my work” is a dependent clause that relies on the independent clause “I will go to the party.”
Clauses play a crucial role in constructing sentences and expressing complex ideas. They can be combined to form different sentence structures and convey various relationships between ideas.