Unit 12

Question 1

Speaking

Answer 1

• Do you know what conjunctions are?
• Give an example of how to use a conjunction.
• Can you explain what clauses are?

Question 2

Grammar

Answer 2

• A clause is the basic unit of grammar. Typically, a main clause is made up of a subject (s) (a noun phrase) and a verb phrase (v). Sometimes the verb phrase is followed by other elements, e.g., objects (o), complements (c), adjuncts (ad).

These other elements are sometimes essential to complete the meaning of the clause:

[S]I [V]’ll call [O] you [AD] later.

• Conjunctions are linking words like and, or, but, then and because:

They knocked down all the houses and they built a car park.
Are there four or five people living in that house?
My shoes look great, but are not very comfortable.

Coordinating conjunctions connect items which are the same grammatical type, e.g., words, phrases, clauses. The most common coordinating conjunctions are and, or, but.

Question 3

Main (or independent) clauses can form sentences on their own.
They aren’t dependent on other clauses. They are always finite (they must contain a verb, which shows tense).
Subordinate (or dependent) clauses cannot form sentences on their own. They are dependent on main clauses to form sentences. They can be finite or non-finite (the main clauses are in bold; the subordinate clauses are underlined):

Answer 3

• I didn’t go to work because I wasn’t feeling very well.
• He studied violin and mathematics before taking a medical degree and doing postgraduate
  work in biophysics at Harvard.
  -She had pretty hair and must had been nice-looking when she was young.
• If I tell him, will he be angry?