Clauses and Sentences - Structure of English
- 1. Clauses and Sentences Joanna M. Noveno
- 3. What is a clause? • A clause is a group of words that contains a subject, typically a noun or pronoun, and a predicate. • A complete sentence contains at least one clause. I didn’t sleep well last night. When the delegates arrived,
- 4. Finite and Nonfinite Clauses Nonfinite clauses contain a non-finite verb form and do not have a subject. He loves to listen Finite clauses contain a finite verb form, which indicates tense, person, and number. Charlie raised his hand.
- 5. Types of Nonfinite Clauses Infinitive Clauses Gerund Clauses Participial Clauses to + base form of verb “-ing” form of the verb present/past participle form of the verb
- 6. Click icon to add picture Infinitive Clauses • Use the base form of the verb, with ‘to’. • Function as the subject, object, complement, or modifier in a sentence. • A way to express purpose, intention, or obligation.
- 7. Click icon to add picture Gerund Clauses • Use the verb in its “-ing” form. • Function as the subject, object, complement, or modifier in a sentence.
- 8. Click icon to add picture Participial Clauses • Use the present (-ing) and past participle (-ed, -en) form of the verb. • Function as modifiers within the sentence. • Used to express conditions, concession, manner, or reason.
- 9. Types of Clauses Main/ Independent Clause and Subordinate/Dependent Cause
- 10. Main/Independent Clause An independent clause, also known as a main clause, can stand alone as a complete sentence. It contains a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought. My dog barks a lot.
- 11. Subordinate/Dependent Clause Cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because it does not express a complete thought. It relies on an independent clause to form a complete sentence. When I grow up, I want to become a nurse. I searched the house and found the mouse that was hiding.
- 12. Types of Subordinate Clauses Adjective/Relative Clauses, Adverbial Clauses, Noun Clauses
- 13. Adjective/Relative Clauses Modify a noun or a noun phrase and is often introduced by a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose). There is the mountain that we are going to climb. My blue tennis shoes, which used to be my mom's, were under the bed.
- 14. Types of Adjective/Relative Clauses Restrictive Clause Restricts or defines the meaning of a noun or noun phrase and provides necessary information. The article that I requested did not arrive on time. The article that I requested did not arrive on time. Nonrestrictive Clause Adds additional information. It is usually a proper noun or a common noun that refers to a unique person, thing, or event. I want to thank my teacher, Mr. Marcos, for all his support.
- 15. Adverbial Clauses Dependent clause that describes a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. An adverb clause tells when, where, how, why, to what extent, or under what conditions something happened. Until it stops raining, we will stay inside. When your father gets here, we will go.
- 16. Types of Adverbial Clauses Temporal When you leave, please close the door. Conditional Don’t call me unless its an emergency. Concessive Even though he worked hard, he failed the exam. Comparative She earns as much money as I do.
- 17. Noun Clauses A noun clause is a dependent clause that acts as a noun. It can be used as the subject, direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, subject complement, or appositive.
- 18. Functions of Noun Clauses Object of a preposition: Josie is not interested in whatever Kyle says. Subject complement: Michael's excuse was that he had forgotten to set his alarm. Appositive: It seems to bother the teacher that all the students are being too quiet. Subject: What I had forgotten was that I had a test today. Direct object: You must choose which flavor of ice cream you want. Indirect object: I will tell whoever will listen my frightening story.
- 19. Connecting Independent Clauses 1. Comma and a Coordinating Conjunction I love my dog, and my dog loves me. 2. Semicolon I can eat; I can sleep. 3. Semicolon, Conjunctive Adverb, and Comma I was sleepy; therefore, I slept.
- 20. Techniques in Teaching Clauses 1. Sentence Analysis – direct students’ attention to the form and function of clauses presented in a text or in isolated sentences. 2. Chunking Sentences - break down complex sentences into smaller chunks. 3. Sentence Diagramming - visually represent the structure of clauses within a sentence. 4. Error Correction – identify and correct errors in sentences.
- 22. What is a sentence? A sentence is a grammatical unit consisting of one or more words that express a complete thought, idea, or statement. It typically contains a subject and a predicate, and it may include other elements such as objects, modifiers, and complements.
- 23. Sentence Structure A. Subject 1. Simple Subject "The artist painted a beautiful landscape on the canvas.“ 2. Complete Subject "The renowned artist painted a beautiful landscape on the canvas.“ 3. Compound Subject “The painter and the sculptor are both renowned artists.”
- 24. Sentence Structure B. Predicate 1. Simple Predicate "The artist painted a beautiful landscape on the canvas.“ 2. Complete Predicate "The artist skillfully painted a beautiful landscape on the canvas.“ 3. Compound Predicate "The artist painted a beautiful landscape on the canvas, and sold it at a fair price.“
- 25. Sentence Structure C. Objects 1. Direct Object “She ate an apple.” 2. Indirect Object “He gave Mary a gift.” 3. Object of Preposition “She walked to the park.”
- 26. Sentence Structure D. Modifiers 1. Adjective Modifier “The red car drove down the street.” 2. Adverb Modifier “She ran quickly.” 3. Relative Clause Modifier “The man who lives next door is a doctor.”
- 27. Sentence Structure E. Complements 1. Subject Complement Predicate Nominative – “She is a doctor.” Predicate Adjective – “The cake smells delicious.” 2. Object Complement “She painted the room blue.”
Editor's Notes
- #2: Clauses are fundamental units of syntax in the English language, serving as building blocks for constructing sentences. Understanding clauses and their types is crucial for mastering grammar and effective communication. Types and function of clauses within sentences.
- #3: In other words, it is composed of words that have a relationship. This relationship is crucial; a clause conveys information about what that subject is or is doing, rather than simply being a random grouping of words. Because a clause expresses an action or a state of being, a clause can often—but not always—function as an independent sentence. A sentence can have just one clause or it can have multiple clauses. Clauses play a variety of roles in English and because of this, there are numerous ways to structure and combine them.
- #4: finite and non-finite clauses. These two varieties of clauses are determined on the basis of the verb form they contain: A finite clause includes finite verb form which can be inflected for tense (usually -ed in past), person (usually -s for 3rd person) and occasionally number (is/are and was/were). They can stand alone as independent clauses or function as dependent clauses within a sentence. Raised is the main verb of the sentence and forms the predicate 2. Nonfinite verbs do not function as main verbs and cannot be inflected for tense. These clauses cannot function independently as sentences but instead serve as subject, modifiers or complements within a sentence.
- #5: Non-finite clauses come in different types, but they share some common characteristics: they are all made up of verbs, lack a subject, and do not show tense. Based on the form of verb used, non-finite clauses are subdivided into three:
- #6: , depending on their position and the structure of the sentence In this example, the infinitive clause functions as the object of the verb wants.
- #7: Gerund functions as the object of the verb
- #11: A dependent clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction, a relative pronoun, or some other word that causes it to become dependent. A dependent clause will make sense only when attached to an independent clause.
- #13: Adjective clauses almost always come right after the nouns they modify In academic writing, relative clauses are often reduced for a more concise style. This also creates more sentence variety. When reducing a relative clause, it is necessary to delete the relative pronoun and either delete or change the verb..
- #14: Restrictive - It is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Restrictive clauses are more common in writing than nonrestrictive clauses. A restrictive clause is also sometimes referred to as an essential clause. When the relative pronoun functions as the object of the sentence, it can (and usually is) omitted from the relative clause. The student who sits in the back of the room asks a lot of questions. The journalist whose story I read yesterday has won prizes for her work. Nonrestrictive - It uses commas to show that the information is additional. The commas almost act like parentheses within the sentence. If the information between the commas is omitted, readers will still understand the overall meaning of the sentence. A nonrestrictive clause is also known as a nonessential clause. Although "that" is sometimes used in restrictive clauses, it is not allowed in nonrestrictive clauses. I want to thank my father, Mark Smith, for all of his love and support. The hypothesis, which I tested throughout the research, was rejected. * In APA 7, per Section 4.19, use "who" or "whom" instead of "that" when referring to a human. ** Although both "which" and "that are grammatically correct in restrictive clauses, APA prefers "that" for restrictive clauses.
- #16: A temporal clause is an adverbial clause of time, that is to say, a clause which informs the reader about the time when the action of main verb of the sentence occurred. Conditional clauses are subordinate clauses that refer to a hypothetical situation (usually starting with the conjunction “if”). They are used along with a main clause that describes the possible consequences of the hypothetical situation (e.g., “If you're late again, you will be fired”). A concessive clause is a clause which begins with "although" or "even though" and which expresses an idea that suggests the opposite of the main part of the sentence. NOTE: " In spite of" , " despite" have similar meaning to "although" or "even though". BUT they don't introduce clauses. They have different syntax. They are followed by nouns or gerunds (verb+ing.) They don't introduce a clause (subject + verb.) In spite of the similarities they share, “although” and “even though” have subtle differences in emphasis. “Although” is a commonly used conjunction to introduce concessive clauses. It smoothly presents a contrasting idea without placing an exaggerated emphasis on the unexpected nature of the contrast. On the other hand, “even though” amplifies the sense of surprise or unexpectedness in the contrast. It implies a stronger degree of contradiction between the main clause and the concessive clause. Comparative – makes a comparison In Latin, temporal clauses are introduced by a temporal conjunction. For example: cum, “when” postquam, “after” antequam, “before” priusquam, “before”
- #18: (That the students are being too quiet seems to bother the teacher.) Note that the appositive renames It, but does not follow immediately like other appositives.)
- #19: There are only three (3) ways to correctly connect two or more independent clauses in a single sentence: A comma plus one of the coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) will successfully connect two independent clauses and will create a relationship between the clauses that they connect. The Coordinating Conjunctions, aka, F A N B O Y S are: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So Remember: The comma comes first, and the conjunction comes next.* Please notice that, unlike coordinating conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs (transitional words), the semicolon does not create any kind of relationship between the two independent clauses; it simply connects the two and makes them part of a single sentence. Besides Certainly Consequently Finally For example Furthermore Hence However In addition Incidentally
- #20: Teaching clauses to students can be made engaging and effective through a variety of techniques. Here are some methods we can use: Like with any new grammar form, students benefit from being introduced to clauses through exercises that are based first on simply noticing patterns. Provide students with sentences containing clauses and ask them to identify the clauses within each sentence. This hands-on approach allows students to actively engage and develop their analytical skills. Chunking Sentences: Break down complex sentences into smaller chunks, highlighting each clause separately. This allows students to focus on one clause at a time, helping them understand how clauses contribute to the overall structure of the sentence. Sentence Diagramming: Teach students how to diagram sentences to visually represent the structure of clauses within a sentence. This can be a helpful tool for visual learners to see the relationship between clauses and other sentence elements. Error Correction - Present students with sentences containing errors related to clauses (e.g., comma splices, run-on sentences) and ask them to identify and correct the errors. This helps students develop their understanding of clauses while enforcing their analytical skills.
- #23: : The noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that performs the action of the verb or is described by the predicate. One subject Subject with a modifier Two or more subjects joined by a conjunction.
- #24: B. Predicate: The predicate of a sentence is the part that contains the verb and provides information about the subject, including what the subject is doing or what is being said about it. One verb Verb with modifier Two or more verbs with conjunctions.
- #25: Objects: Objects are nouns or noun phrases that receive the action of the verb or are affected by it. They can be direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions. Direct Object: A direct object receives the action of the verb directly. Example: "She ate an apple." In this sentence, "an apple" is the direct object because it receives the action of the verb "ate." It answers the question "ate what?" Indirect Object: An indirect object indicates to whom or for whom the action of the verb is done. Example: "He gave Mary a gift." In this sentence, "Mary" is the indirect object because she receives the direct object "a gift." It answers the question "gave a gift to whom?" Object of Preposition: An object of a preposition is the noun or pronoun governed by a preposition. Example: "She walked to the park." In this sentence, "the park" is the object of the preposition "to." It answers the question "walked where?"
- #26: Modifiers: Modifiers are words or phrases that provide additional information about other elements in the sentence, such as adjectives, adverbs, and clauses. Adjective modifiers provide information about nouns or pronouns. Adverb modifiers provide information about verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Relative clause modifiers provide additional information about a noun or pronoun and begin with a relative pronoun (such as who, which, that).
- #27: Complements: Complements are words or phrases that complete the meaning of the verb and are required to make the sentence grammatically correct. Subject Complement: A subject complement follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject. There are two main types of subject complements: Predicate Nominative: A predicate nominative renames the subject. Predicate Adjective: A predicate adjective describes the subject Object Complement: An object complement follows and modifies the direct object, providing additional information about it.