CLAUSES | DEFINITION | EXAMPLES | SENTENCES | ENGLISHGURUWEB

 CLAUSES





Structure of sentences 

According to their grammatical structure, sentences can be classified into three types:

1. Simple sentence

2. Compound sentence

3. Complex sentence


1. A Simple Sentence has only one clause, i.e., one subject and one predicate, e.g.,

The students are learning grammar.




2. A Compound Sentences has two or more main clauses joined together by coordinating conjunctions like and, but, still, so, and so, therefore, for, now, otherwise, either…………………….or, neither ……………… nor, not only ………………. but also, e.g.,

(a) The child ran fast and won the race.

(b) Hari works hard and therefore stands first.


3. A Complex Sentence has one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses, e.g., 

I read the book which I had bought from the Book Fair.

Subordinate clauses are of three kinds:

Noun Clause

Adjective Clause

Adverb Clause



Noun Clauses function as nouns in relation to the main clauses, eg.,

That the earth goes around    1 the sun is a fact.


The noun clause is the subject of the verb ‘is’ in the main clause.

I firmly believe that he will let me tell the truth.


CLAUSES | DEFINITION |  EXAMPLES | SENTENCES | ENGLISHGURUWEB




The noun clause is the object of the verb ‘believe’ in the main clause.

It seems that the students are tired.


The noun clause is the complement of the verb ‘seems’ in the main clause.

It is a fact that the earth goes around the sun.


The noun clause is in the apposition with the noun ‘fact’ in the main clause.

We must pay attention to what our elders tell us.


The noun clause is the object of the preposition ‘to’ in the main clause.

I am sure that I have done the right thing.


The noun clause is the complement of the adjective ‘sure’ in the main clause.



The noun clause is the complement of the adjective ‘sure’ in the main clause.

Adjective clauses describe a noun or a pronoun in the main clause or in another subordinate clause.

Adjective clauses are also known as relative clauses as they are usually introduced by relative pronouns.

like ‘who’, ‘whom’, ‘whose’, ‘which’, and ‘that’. e.g.,

The house which has large glass windows was burgled yesterday.

The adjective clause describes the noun ‘house’ in the main clause.

I know the boy who won the national championship.

The adjective clause describes the noun ‘boy’ in the main clause.

He who laughs last laughs best.


The adjective clause describes the pronoun ‘He’ in the main clause.

Adverb Clauses function as adverbs in relation to the main clause or other clauses. They may modify the verb or an adjective or another adverb by telling about their time, place, condition, purpose, result, manner, etc., e.g.,


I met him when he was going home. Adverb clause of time

You will find your book where you kept it. Adverb clause of place

The students are happy because they have passed the examination. Adverb clause of reason

If you work hard you will surely succeed. Adverb clause of condition

You must work hard so that he stood first in the class. Adverb clause of purpose

He worked so hard that he stood first in the class. Adverb clause of result

Though he is very clever, he is not very popular. Adverb clause of contrast/concession/supposition

He is not as tall as you (are). Adverb clause of comparison of the degree

You must do as you are told. Adverb clause of comparison of the manner


The conjunctions which join subordinate clauses to the main clause or to each other are ‘that’, ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘whom’, ‘whose’, ‘where’, ‘here’, ‘there’, ‘because’, ‘as’, ‘if’, ‘unless’, ‘so…….. that’, ‘though’, ‘although’, even though’.


 





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