Basic Elements of a Clause: In order for a group of words to be considered a clause, it must have at least two elements:
- a subject
- a verb
Examples:
Rock went to Kyle Field for Midnight Yell.
This is a clause because it has both a subject “Rock” and a verb “went.”
because he was an Aggie
This is a clause because it has the subject “he” and the verb “was.”
humping it with the 12 th Man
This is not a clause because it does not have a subject or a verb.
(NOTE: The –ing form is not considered a verb without a form of “be” in front of it -- for example, “is running.”)
Why do we care about clauses?Being able to identify the different kinds of clauses is helpful because it enables you to identify grammatical and punctuation errors in your writing.
Run-on Sentences and Comma SplicesThese are errors where two independent clauses are incorrectly joined together.
Independent Clauses
An independent clause is a clause that makes sense by itself. In other words, it can be a whole sentence by itself.
Examples:
The Aggies beat the **** out of tu.
This example has a subject “Aggies” and a verb “beat,” and it makes complete sense as a sentence by itself, so it is an independent clause.
when they played basketball
Although this example has both a subject “they” and a verb “played,” it is not an independent clause because it doesn’t make sense as a sentence by itself.
Comma Splice
Rock went to the MSC, he wanted to buy some books.
This is a comma splice and is considered to be an error. Since “Rock went to the MSC” and “he wanted to buy some books” are both independent clauses, the comma alone is not strong enough to connect them.
Run-on Sentence
Rock went to the MSC he wanted to buy some books.
This is a run-on sentence because it is two independent clauses joined together with no punctuation.
Use the following methods to correct both the comma splice and the run-on sentence.
If you want one idea to be subordinate to the other idea, you can add a subordinate conjunction and make the sentence correct:
Rock went to the MSC because he wanted to buy some books.
If you want both ideas to be equally important you have three choices to make the sentence correct:
Add a comma plus a coordinating conjunction: And, But, For, or, nor, so, yet (Think A. B. Fonsy to remember the coordinating conjunctions.)
Rock went to the MSC, and he wanted to buy some books. Use a semi-colon: Rock went to the MSC; he wanted to buy some books. Sometimes a conjunctive adverb follows the semicolon to add transition between the sentences. Some conjunctive adverbs are however, moreover, nevertheless, whereas, thus, consequently. For example, Rock went to the MSC; moreover, he intended to buy some books. Use two separate sentences: Rock went to the MSC. He wanted to buy some books.
Sentence FragmentsOccur when anything less than an independent clause is written like a full sentence.
Subordinate Clauses (also called Dependent Clauses)
Subordinate clauses are clauses that cannot stand as complete sentences by themselves. This can be confusing because a subordinate clause is formed by adding an extra word (a subordinating conjunction) to an independent clause.
Examples:
because he wanted to buy a new car
Although “he wanted to buy a new car” is an independent clause, it becomes a subordinate clause when the subordinating conjunction “because” is added to it.
when I got to class
Again, notice that “I got to class” is an independent clause which becomes subordinate when “when” is added.
although he was very tired
“He was very tired” is an independent clause that becomes subordinate when “although” is added.
Subordinating conjunctions: Putting these at the beginning of any independent clause will make it a subordinate, or dependent, clause: | after | although | as | if | as long as | | as soon as | because | before | as if | in | | order | that | since | so that | than | | though | unless | until | when | whenever | | where | wherever | while | | |
Relative pronouns, listed below, are sometimes used in independent clauses, and sometimes in subordinate clauses.
Generally speaking, if who, whose, and which are used in independent clauses, the clauses are in the form of questions:
Examples of relative pronuns in subordinate clauses:
Miss USA, who is an Aggie, spoke at the Yell Practice.
The Aggie whose 12 th Man towel was in Fish Pond continued to yell. The Aggie softball team, which is ranked #22 in the nation, won their last game.
That is used in declarative sentences.
Example: That is Olsen Field in the background.
That is also used to form subordinate, or dependent, clauses.
Example: That Rock left in the garage.
“Rock left in the garage” is technically an independent clause because it contains a subject and a verb. Adding that to the clause makes it dependent. The Big 12 basketball tournament starts today. When the Aggies play the Red Raiders in the first game. The first sentence above is OK because it is an independent clause. However, the second sentence is a sentence fragment because it is a subordinate clause. In this case, the best way to solve the problem is by joining the two sentences together: The Big 12 basketball tournament starts today when the Aggies play the Red Raiders in the first game.
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