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Mastering English Grammar > Clauses and Their Relationships > Flashcards

Clauses and Their Relationships Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE?

A

A clause that stands on its own—it can be a complete sentence.

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2
Q

In order to be a sentence, every sentence must have a

A

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

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3
Q

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE may also be referred to as

A

MAIN CLAUSES

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4
Q

What is a DEPENDENT CLAUSE?

A

A clause (with a subject and predicate) that does not make sense on its own

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5
Q

What do DEPENDENT CLAUSES have that INDEPENDENT CLAUSES don’t?

A

A word that links the DEPENDENT CLAUSE to the INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

BECAUSE she hated her

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6
Q

The words that link dependent to independent clauses are known as …

A

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

Because

When

While

After

If

Though

Even if

Provided that

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7
Q

What is the purpose of SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS?

A

to establish a dependent relationship between a dependent clause and another clause or clauses by a connecting word that creates a subordinate relationship.

Because she hated her so much, Sarah didn’t invite Alice to her party.

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8
Q

How do coordinating conjunctions connect clauses?

A

They link independent clauses and create a relationship of equality between the two.

Hungry Sharon at all the sandwiches

AND

thirsty pat drank all the lemonade

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9
Q

Some subordinating conjunctions can also serve as prepositions. How do you determine if a word is acting as a preposition or subordinating conjunction?

A

A preposition will have a (noun) object.

A subordinating conjunction will have a clause after it.

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10
Q

What are relative pronouns?

A

A way to connect clauses with pronouns, instead of conjunctions

Similar to conjunctions, relative pronouns tie together groups of words–but they are pronouns, so they stand in for nouns.

Bill has a brother who lives in New York

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11
Q

Identify the dependent clause

Bill has a brother who lives in New York

I read the book that you recommended

A

Relative clauses

who lives in New York

that you recommended

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12
Q

What is “who” doing in the sentence

Bill has a brother who lives in New York.

A

who is a relative pronoun that is connecting the clause

Bill has a brother

with

who (brother) lives in New York

and is also establishing a relationship between the two, making “who lives in New York a

DEPENDENT CLAUSE

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13
Q

What is a SIMPLE SENTENCE?

A

A sentence with one clause–an independent/main clause.

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14
Q

Name that sentence type:

Miss Scarlet committed the murder in the drawing room with the candlestick.

A

Simple

Remember: prepositional phrases are PHRASE, not CLAUSES. This sentence has just one independent clause.

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15
Q

Name that setence type:

“Run!”

A

Simple

the implied subject makes this an independent clause and thus a sentence.

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16
Q

What is a compound sentence?

A

A sentence that is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Hungry Sharon ate all the sandwiches, and Pat was unhappy about that.

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17
Q

What purpose do compound sentences serve?

A

To bring together two closely related thoughts.

I am not hungry, but I will eat.

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18
Q

To link two compound sentences w/o a conjunction, use a…

A

semi-colon

I am hungry; I will eat.

Hungry Sharon ate all the sandwiches; Pat was unhappy about that.

19
Q

What is a COMPLEX SENTENCE?

A

A sentence with one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

I borrowed the book after I read a review of it.

Note: because the subject is restated, it makes a second clause!

I borrow the book after I read a review that you mentioned.

SEE, NOW TWO DEPENDENT CLAUSES!

20
Q

What is a COMPOUND-COMPLEX sentence?

A

A sentence with two or more independent/main clauses and one or more dependent/subordinate clauses.

I went to the market and I bought some corn because it looked tasty.

21
Q

Identify this

I went to the market and I bought some corn because it looked tasty.

A

COMPOUND-COMPLEX

22
Q

What are the two ways to connect clauses?

A

with conjunctions or with relative pronouns

23
Q

Name the two types of dependent/subordinate clauses?

A
  1. those linked with a SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION
  2. those linked with a RELATIVE CLAUSE
24
Q

What do relative pronouns do?

A

introduce whole clauses–relative clauses

The car THAT I WAS DRIVING is red

The man, WHO I KNOW IS UNRELIABLE, is back.

The woman, WHOM I SAW IN THE ALLEY, was wearing a hat.

25
Q

What do relative clauses do? How do they function in a sentence?

A

they POSTMODIFY NOUNS

i.e., they come after nouns and modify them, adding some kind of description or specificity

and because modifying nouns is what adjectives do relative clauses function

ADJECTIVALLY

26
Q

What is a RESTRICTIVE CLAUSE?

What do restrictive clauses do?

A

a type of DEPENDENT CLAUSE that is ESSENTIAL to the meaning of a sentence

Restrictive clauses LIMIT the meaning or extent of the INDEPENDENT CLAUSE in a sentence (this is why they are essential)

27
Q

What is a NONRESTRICTIVE CLAUSE?

A

a DEPENDENT CLAUSE that is no essential to the meaning of a sentence

28
Q

Punctuate this:

you must insert a new disk if the “disk is full” message appears

A

You must insert a new disk if the “disk is full” message appears.

[this if clause LIMITS when you must insert disk]

Rule: IND R-DEP

No comma needed for restrictive clauses that follow an independent clause.

29
Q

Punctuate this:

if the disk is full message appears, you must insert a new disk

A

If the “disk is full” message appears, you must insert a new disk.

[Rule: DEP, IND]

When a dependent clause—restrictive or nonrestrictive—precedes an independent clause,

it is followed by a

COMMA

30
Q

How do you punctuate IND DEP sentences?

A

depends on if the DEPendent clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive.

NR requires a COMMA

R gets no punctuation

31
Q

Punctuate this:

weekly tape backup procedures should be followed even though the software creates a backup copy of the active document

A

Weekly tape backup procedures should be followed, even though the software creates a backup copy of the active document.

Rule: IND, NR-DEP

“Even though” clause is nonrestrictive because it does not limit when backup procedures should be followed.

32
Q

What is the difference between these two sentences?

“He was annoyed when the phone rang.”

“He was annoyed, when the phone rang.”

A 
* "He was annoyed when the phone rang."
 restrictive clause (because no comma) \>\>\> indicates he was annoyed by the ringing of the phone
* "He was annoyed, when the phone rang."
 nonrestrictive clause (comma) \>\>\> indicates he was annoyed AND THEN the phone rang
33
Q

What is a relative clause?

A

A dependent clause (restrictive or nonrestrictive) headed by one of the following:

  1. RELATIVE PRONOUN (that, who, which)
  2. RELATIVE ADJECTIVE (whose)
  3. RELATIVE ADVERB (when, where)
34
Q

Identify the type and function of the who clause in

Janetta Williams, who is directing the marketing campaign, is arriving tomorrow.

A

NONRESTRICTIVE RELATIVE CLAUSE

functions as an

APPOSITIVE

because

it renames or adds a new piece of information about a subject that has already been identified.

35
Q

What rule governs relative clauses that function as APPOSITIVES (i.e., that rename or add further info about a subject that has already been identified) are always)?

A

They are always NONRESTRICTIVE

36
Q

ID the which clause in

“Liberty City, which is in the northeastern corner of the state, will host next year’s conference.”

A

Relative clause acting as an APPOSITIVE.

Rule: APPOSITIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES ARE ALWAYS NONRESTRICTIVE

37
Q

Punctuate the following sentence and justify your choice:

The promoter said that if no more ticket requests came in the concert would be cancelled

A

The promoter said that if no more ticket requests came in, the concert would be cancelled.

A comma is MANDATORY when a dependent CLAUSE precedes an independent CLAUSE (regardless of whether it comes at the beginning of a sentence).

note: the same does not hold for PHRASES, for which the comma is optional.

38
Q

Are commas mandatory or optional for when a DEPENDENT CLAUSE precedes and INDEPENDENT CLAUSE?

A

MANDATORY

NOTE: same does not hold for phrases, for which the comma is optional

39
Q

Prepositional phrases can serve what jobs in a sentence?

A
  • Modify a noun
    • A friend IN NEED is a friend indeed.
  • Modify an adjective
    • She’s happy AT THE CABIN
  • Subject predicative
    • The house is ON FIRE.
  • Object predicative
    • The job lifted him OUT OF POVERTY.
  • Adverbial
    • He said his good-byes WITH GREAT SORROW.
40
Q

Barbara has to sons whom she can rely on and hence is not unduly worried.

What kind of clause is “whom she can rely on”?

A

A restrictive relative clause.

Or more accurately: an “integrated relative clause”

Pinker makes the point (p286) that “restrictive” and “nonrestrictive” are misnomers: restrictive clauses don’t always restrict the referents of the noun to some subset. What they do is…

specify information that is necessary to make the sentence true.

Here, the commaless clause does not pare down the set of Barbara’s sons fro the full brood to just the two she can rely on; it indicates that because those two sons are sons on whom Barbara can rely, therefore she has no need to worry.

41
Q

What’s the difference between the two sentences?

  • (1) Susan visited her friend Theresa*
  • (2) Susan visited her friend, Theresa*
A
  1. Susan visited her friend Theresa tells us it’s important to know that Susan singled out her friend Theresa as the person she intended to visit.
  2. Susan visited her friend, Theresa tells us it’s only significant that Susan visited a friend (oh, and by the way, the friend’s name is Theresa).

The key to understanding where to put commas is in understanding that

commas set off a phrase that is not an INTEGRAL consituent of the sentence

commas demarcate SUPPLEMENTARY phrases and clauses

42
Q

To splice two sentences where the coherence relation is elaboration or exemplification, use what mark of punctuation?

A

a colon

43
Q

Splice two sentences with a colon when one is temped to say…

A
  • that is
  • in other words
  • which is to say
  • for example
  • here’s what I have in mind
  • Voila!

The colon indicates that the coherence relation is ELABORATION or EXEMPLIFICATION

44
Q

What is an “absolute phrase?

A
  • A participial phrase unconnected to the rest of the sentence in which it appears.
  • Because absolute phrases are grammatically indepedent, THEY CANNOT DANGLE
    • “The race having ended, many spectators rushed onto the field.”
  • Absolute phrases can be situated in the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.
  • Some have a noun that is the subject of the participle (“The sun having risen, we resumed our journey”); others do not (“Speaking of journeys, did you ever visit Tibet?”)
  • The essence of subjectless absolute phrases is that the participle has no specific reference to anyone or anything. (“Considering the circumstances, things could have turned out much worse.”)
  • Common absolutes: considering, given that, provided that, judging from

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