The Clause

Michael Clay ThompsonLevel 4 Analysis

Clauses are EASY!

• The word CLAUSE comes from the same root as the words claustrophobia, enclosure, and close. The idea is that a clause is a CLOSING.– The SUBJECT opens the idea, and the PREDICATE

closes it;– The SUBJECT asks, and the PREDICATE answers

A CLAUSE is simply a group of words

• That contains a SUBJECT and its PREDICATE, and this one-two structure OPENS and CLOSES an idea.

• Every clause has this PRIMARY set at its center

• EXAMPLE: HE LOVES TAKING NOTES• Subject: HE• Predicate: LOVES

Subject / PredicateOpen, Close

• The COMPLETE CLAUSE includes not only the subject and the verb, but all of the MODIFIERS and PHRASES that go with them. A sentence may consist of ONE clause, or it might can SEVERAL clauses, each with its own subject and predicate.

Stop and Practice!

• Has Eggworthy cracked the case of the Missing Chicken?

Answer

• Subject: Eggworthy• Predicate: Cracked

2.

• Lulu crossed the Alps in the dead of winter without help from a single elephant.

Answer

• Subject: Lulu• Predicate: Cracked

3.

• Agwamp swam for 15 minutes and rowed for an hour before nightfall.

Answer

• Subject: Agwamp• Answer: Swam, Rowed

I and D – Two Kinds of Clauses

• Independent Clause (I): An independent clause is a clause that makes sense INDEPENDENTLY.

• It can stand alone.

Dependent Clause (D):

• A dependent of SUBORDINATE clause is usually a clause that does not make sense unless it can “HANG ON” to an INDEPENDENT clause.

• Dependent clauses are sometimes called SUBORDINATE clauses, and often begin SUBORDINATING conjunctions.

Stop! Practice Time!

• Here are a few examples of independent and dependent clauses. Identify the subject (opening) and verb (closing) in each. Then label and decide if the clause is mature or immature. Write I for independent and D for dependent.

• 1. Cedric blasted Blathersby with a radar gun.

Answer

• Subject: Cedric

• Predicate: Blasted

• Clause Type: I

2.

• Because Blathersby had installed an illegal motor on his skateboard.

Answer

• Subject: Blathersby

• Predicate: Installed

• Clause Type: D

3.

• Which Eggworthy bought from an overcrowded zoo.

Answer

• Subject: Eggworthy

• Predicate: Bought

• Clause Type: D

Clause vs. Sentence

• A clause has both a SUBJECT and a VERB like a sentence, but a sentence always has a COMPLETE thought, whereas a clause might be INCOMPLETE.

• A sentence can consist of several CLAUSES• Every sentence has at least ONE

INDEPENDENT clause in it, but a DEPENDENT clause does not make a complete thought.

Four Sentence Structures

I• Simple Sentence: A simple sentence is a

sentence consisting of one INDEPENDENT clause.

• Example: Murgatroyd slowly ate the beef and yam stew.

II – Compound Sentence

• A compound sentence is a sentence made up of two or more INDEPENDENT clauses. You can use a compound sentence to connect two or more ideas of EQUAL importance. Use COORDINATING conjunctions to create compound sentences

• Punctuate: I, cc I or I;I• EX: Murgatroyd slowly ate the beef and yam

stew, and he lovingly drank a tall glass of skim milk.

ID or D,I: Complex Sentence

• A complex sentence is a sentence that is complex because it consists of an independent clause joined to a DEPENDENT clause. You can use a complex sentence to show a PRIMARY idea that has a LESSER idea attached to it. The INDEPENDENT clause will contain the LESSER idea. Use SUBORDINATING conjunctions to create complex sentences.

Complex Sentences

• Punctuate them:

• ID• D,I

• Murgatroyd slowly ate the beef and yam stew because it was his favorite.

IID DII Compound-Complex Sentence

• A compound-complex is a sentence is a sentence that contains both a COMPOUND clause and a COMPLEX clause.

• EX: Murgatroyd slowly ate the beef and yam stew, but his sister, who is a vegetarian, refused to eat for dinner.

Conjunctions

• A conjunction CONNECTS words or groups of words. There are THREE kinds of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.

Coordinating Conjunctions

• FANBOYS—connects words or groups of words that are of equal importance.

• FOR• AND• NOR• BUT• OR • YET• SO

Subordinating Conjunctions

• WASBIT—Introduce DEPENDENT CLAUSES and join them to INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

• (You have the whole list on your notes!)• While / When• As / Although• Since / So that• Because / Before• If / In order that• Though / That

Correlative Conjunctions

• Correlative Conjunctions—are word pairs that serve to join words or groups of words.

• Both…and• Either…or• Neither…nor• Not only…but also• Whether…or

Conjunctive Adverbs

• Conjunctive Adverbs–are used to express relationships between INDEPENDENT clauses.

• Accordingly also besides consequently finally• Furthermore hence however instead • Nevertheless otherwise similarly still

therefore • thus