Clauses in English grammar are a group of words that consist of a subject and a verb that are related. Mostly there are two different types of clauses in grammar, independent clause and dependent clause. Clauses are essential parts of sentence elements, and they depict the complete idea of a sentence without adding text.
The purpose of clauses is to appear in the sentence to provide a complete sense of the sentence. This article will show you the clauses in English grammar and how to use them in a sentence.
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Definition of Clause with Examples
Clauses are defined as a group of words that consists of a subject and a verb. Together it forms a sentence that particularly conveys a message by completing a sentence. The central part of the clause is a predictive verb that specifically depicts the event.
Examples:
- I am not feeling well, so I took a day off from work.
- My friend asked me to call him as soon as I reached home.
- I like mountains but I enjoy spending hours at a beach.
- I want to travel the world to experience beautiful places.
Types of clauses with examples
There are different types of clauses in grammar, such as independent clauses and dependent clauses, relative clauses, noun clauses, and non-finite clauses.
1. Independent clauses: They can stand alone and provide a complete sense of a sentence that does not require other construction to complete the idea.
Example: David drinks coffee.
2. Dependent clauses: They cannot stand independently and need other sentence construction to complete the idea.
Example: I did not get much sleep and now I am feeling tired.
3. Relative clauses: They describe the nouns of the sentence, and it goes with a relative adverb or pronoun.
Example: My uncle who visited me last week at the hostel made a very kind gesture.
4: Noun clauses: It is a dependent clause that takes the place of a noun in the sentence. It can be subject, object, or subject complements.
Example: I did not bring my laptop.
5. Non-finite clauses: It is a dependent clause that includes a verb without a tense, and it uses subordinate clauses as well.
Example: I have to complete the task before leaving.
In short, clauses are the basic unit in English grammar that can be combined and structured in many ways. The clauses are always related to the subject and verb. This makes it very easy to identify clauses once you find the subject and verb of the sentence. Various types of clauses in grammar are mainly used to determine the purpose of an action.
Essentially, the clause is important to convey the correct message of the sentence. On the other hand, phrases can be collected from the sentence to keep the meaning intact. To learn more about Clauses in English grammar, please visit www.98thpercentile.com or you can join free trial classes of ELA programs.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. What is the principle of clauses in English grammar?
Ans- It refers to the independent part of the sentence, which is called the principal clause.
Q.2. What are the various functions of clauses?
Ans- There are four major grammatical functions, declaration, exclamation, question, and command.
Q.3. How do you identify a clause in a sentence?
Ans- A clause with comparison contains a phrase, yet the subject and the verb work together.
Q.4. What is the basic characteristic of clauses in grammar?
Ans- It is a grammatical unit that includes subject and predicate.
Q.5. How do you learn clauses easily?
Ans- To learn clauses easily, you need to follow the rules of clauses and follow English grammar.
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