Topic: Clauses
Subject: English Language | Class: Basic 5
Introduction
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Unlike a phrase, a clause tells us who is doing the action and what the action is. Every complete sentence is made up of at least one clause.
Key Points
1. Types of Clauses
There are two main types of clauses:
- Independent Clause (Main Clause): This is a group of words that has a subject and a verb and makes complete sense on its own. It can stand alone as a full sentence.
- Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause): This also has a subject and a verb, but it does not make complete sense on its own. It needs an independent clause to complete its meaning. It often starts with words like because, although, if, since, or when.
- Example: ...because it was raining.
2. Identifying Clauses in Sentences
A sentence can have one or more clauses joined together.
- Sentence: "The boy ran away because he was scared."
- Independent Clause: The boy ran away. (Makes sense alone)
- Dependent Clause: ...because he was scared. (Does not make sense alone)
3. More Examples
- Independent: She goes to school.
- Dependent: When the bell rings...
- Combined: She goes to school when the bell rings.
Brief Summary
A clause is a part of a sentence that must have a subject and a verb. Independent clauses express a complete thought, while dependent clauses rely on other words to make sense. Every sentence you write contains at least one independent clause.
