Clause
Subordinate clauses are also
called dependent clauses because they can't be used without the main clause. Word order in subordinate
clauses is first the subject, then the verb. Compare these pairs of simple and
complex sentences:
I bought a book on history. I
bought the book that you asked for.
I know the way to his house.
I know where he lives.
He went home after work. He
went home after he had finished work.
The predicative clause
The
predicative clause functions as part of the predicate and usually stands after
the linking verb “be”.
The problem is that he is
rude.
The question is where I can
find enough money for my project.
This is what he said to her.
This is how it happened.
The subject /Noun clause:
The subject clause functions as the subject of
the sentence. Subject clauses are introduced by the words "who, what, how,
when, where, that, whether".
Question
word + subject verb + is/was:
Who brought the roses is a
secret.
What you told me was
interesting.
How it happened is not clear.
What he said was really
funny. (Noun clause "What he said" is the subject.)
Who brought the roses is a
secret.
What you told me was
interesting.
How it happened is not clear.
What you learn at the
university is
relevant to your future career.
This is not what I meant.
(Noun clause "what I meant" is in the function of predicative noun.)
She says that he will come
back tomorrow. (Noun clause "that he will come back tomorrow" is a
direct object.)
He is not interested in what
she is doing. (Noun clause "what she is doing" is a prepositional
object.)
Is it Jim that/whom you are
going to meet?
Was it his bicycle that got
stolen last night?
The
subject clause is often placed after the predicate, and the formal subject
"It" is used in such sentences.
It is not known who brought
the roses.
It is not clear how it
happened.
It is doubtful that he will
come back today.
It is/was (not) + subject/object + that/who(m) (statements/negations)
It was Mary that/who called
you.
It was the manager
that/who(m) I wrote to.
It was the radio that broke
down. (Only “that” can be used because the subject is not a person)
It wasn’t me that/who called
the police.
It isn’t the TV that needs to
be repaired.
That is/was + question word (statements)
That’s what he did to save
the boy.
Question
word + is/was it + that …?
Why is it that you are always
late for work?
To express
admiration, anger, concern etc we use question words with ever.
Whatever are you talking
about?
Do/does/did
+ bare infinitive is used in the Present Simple, Past Simple or Imperative to
give emphasis.
I do promise to keep your
secret.
The attributive clause
The
attributive clause performs the function of an attribute and stands after the
noun that it modifies. Attributive clauses are introduced by the words
"who, whom, whose, which, that, when, where, why".
The man who helped her was
Dr. Lee.
The bag that he bought cost
forty dollars.
Here's the book that I am
talking about.
The place where she lives is
not far from here.
The time when they were
friends is gone.
The object clause:
Object clauses function as
objects.
He told us that he had
already bought a car.
I know where we can find him.
I asked how I could help him.
Determine + Noun + Relative
Clause
The
relative clause performs the function of an attribute and stands after the noun
that it modifies. Relative clauses are introduced by the words "who, whom,
whose, which, that, when, where, why". Relative clauses in the form of
adjective clauses are introduced by the relative pronouns "who (whom,
whose), which, that". "Who" refers to persons; "which"
refers to things"; "that" refers to things or persons.
The man who helped her was
Dr. Lee.
The bag that he bought cost
forty dollars.
Here's the book that I am
talking about.
The place where she lives is
not far from here.
The time when they were
friends is gone.
The courses that you take at
the university will
enable you to become a good manager in the future.
Who will be able to do it is
still a question.
I don't know which of these
bags belongs to her.
I didn't hear what he said.
Relative
clauses that have parenthetical character (i.e., nonrestrictive clauses) are
separated by commas. Such clauses are usually introduced by the relative
pronouns "which" and "who" (whom, whose), but not by
"that".
She lost his book, which made
him angry.
She doesn't study hard, which
worries her parents.
My brother, who now lives in
Greece, invited us to spend next summer at his place.
The war, which lasted nearly
ten years, brought devastation and suffering to both countries.
The term
"relative clauses" in English materials refers to noun clauses and
adjective clauses introduced by the relative pronouns "who (whom, whose),
which, that, what".
Relative
clauses in the form of noun clauses are introduced by the relative pronouns
"who (whom, whose), which, what".
Who will be able to do it is
still a question.
I don't know which of these
bags belongs to her.
I didn't hear what he said.
Relative
clauses in the form of adjective clauses are introduced by the relative
pronouns "who (whom, whose), which, that". "Who" refers to
persons; "which" refers to things"; "that" refers to
things or persons. To avoid possible mistakes, language learners should use
"who" (not "that") when referring to people.
The boy who is standing by
the door is her nephew. Or: The boy standing by the door is her nephew.
The man to whom she is
speaking is her doctor. Or: The man she is speaking to is her doctor.
The house in which he lived
was too far from the center of the city. Or: The house he lived in was too far
from the city center.
The people whose house he
bought moved to
Boston.
I lost the pen that you gave
me. Or: I lost the pen which you gave me. Or: I lost the pen you gave me.
She likes the stories that he writes. Or: She likes the stories which he writes. Or: She likes the stories he writes.
There are
five parts of a sentence: the subject, the predicate, the attribute, the
object, and the adverbial modifier. Accordingly, there are five types of
subordinate clauses: the subject clause, the predicative clause, the
attributive clause, the object clause, and several types of adverbial clauses.
Subordinate clauses are also called dependent clauses because they can't be
used without the main clause.
Adverbial
clauses function as adverbial modifiers. Adverbial clauses include several
types of clauses that indicate time, place, purpose, cause, result, condition,
concession, manner, comparison.
Adverbial
clauses usually come after the main clause:
She had a difficult childhood
because her father died when she was very young.
Word order in subordinate
clauses is first the subject, then the verb.
I bought a book on history.
I bought the book that you
asked for.
I know the way to his house.
I know where he lives.
He went home after work.
He went home after he had
finished work.
Some
subordinate clauses can come in front of the main clause:
Although she has always lived
in France, she speaks fluent English because her mother was American and her
father was Nigerian.
After
the time referring conjunction (when, till, until, after, before, as soon as,
as long as, by the time, and some others) is not used future tense. The present
tense, usually the Simple Present, is used instead of the future in clauses of
time.
I will wait until he finishes
his work.
The
adverbial clause of time: When she
arrived, they went home.
The
adverbial clause of place: He went where
I told him to go.
The
adverbial clause of purpose: He works
hard so that he can buy a house for his family.
The
adverbial clause of result: My car was
repaired on Thursday so that on Friday I was able to leave.
The
adverbial clause of reason: I can't come
to the party because I have a cold.
The
adverbial clause of comparison: He works
as quickly as he can.
The
adverbial clause of concession: Though he
was tired, he kept working.
The
adverbial clause of condition: We will go
to the lake on Saturday if the weather is good.
Note that
after "as if; as though", the subjunctive mood is used in cases
expressing unreality.
He looks as if he were old
and sick.
Aafter the
condition referring conjunction (if, unless, in case, on condition that, and
some others) is not used future tense.
If he calls, tell him the
truth.
A comma is
generally not used between the main clause and the adverbial subordinate clause
if the subordinate clause stands after the main clause. But a comma is used
between them if the subordinate clause stands at the beginning of the sentence
before the main clause. Compare:
She went for a walk in the
park after she had finished her work on the report.
After she had finished her
work on the report, she went for a walk in the park.
A comma is
used before the adverbial subordinate clause if the subordinate clause refers
to the whole main clause (not only to the verb in it). Such situations often
occur in the case of the clauses beginning with "though, although,
whatever, no matter what" and "because". Compare:
She was absent because she
was ill.
They must have been sleeping,
because there was no light in their windows.
Use a pair
of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words
that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Oliver Ellsworth, the third
chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, was the author of the bill
established the federal court system.
