Clauses: Building Blocks for Sentences TAKE NOTES!

© Capital Community College We speak with clauses and phrases, but why do we forget to write with them? Just like most of the sentences writers construct (build), phrases and clauses may not pop in your mind automatically; it takes thought! Therefore, writers use a variety of sentence structures so both readers and the writers themselves don’t get WAKE UP!

© Capital Community College A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a verb.subjectverb ** It is different from a phrase because a phrase does NOT include a subject AND a verb.phrase Words and phrases in this color are hyperlinks to the Guide to Grammar & Writing.

© Capital Community College Clause or not a clause? I run writing in purple ink during the birthday party when I am angry or confused Hint: Clause has BOTH a subject and a verb. I run = clause writing in purple ink = NC during the birthday party = NC When I am angry or confused = clause You-Do-When-Channel-Partners-Compete

© Capital Community College 1. Independent: A clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand by itself as a sentence. Some grammar teachers call these “main clauses.” 2. Dependent: A clause that does not express a complete thought and cannot stand by itself as a complete sentence. Dependent clauses are sometimes called “subordinate clauses.” Subordinate means lesser in rank or importance.

© Capital Community College 1. Independent clause examples: Glaciers often leave holes in the ground. These holes are called kettles. We learned about glaciers in Earth Science. Independent clauses have a subject and a verb and can stand alone independently. classification-of-subordinate-clauses.html

© Capital Community College Can I have more than one independent clause? You can put 2 independent clauses together as GOOD WRITERS OFTEN do! EX: Glaciers often leave holes in the ground, and these holes are called kettles.

© Capital Community College Independent clauses can be connected in a variety of ways: 1. By a comma and a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so). Glaciers often leave holes in the ground, and these holes are called kettles.conjunction 2. By a semicolon alone. Glaciers often leave holes in the ground; these holes are called kettles.semicolon 3. And, of course, independent clauses may not be connected by punctuation at all but are separated by a period. Glaciers often leave holes in the ground. These holes are called kettles.

© Capital Community College Dependent clauses have a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence. 2. Dependent clause examples: After Rome expanded its empire to its largest size which the vet recommended **Notice how the dependent clauses begin with “dependent words,” words that subordinate what follows or precedes the sentence. These words are called “subordinating conjunctions.”

© Capital Community College What does the dependent clause need so it’s not a fragment? The Internet, which started out as a means for military and academic types to share documents, has become a household necessity.... an independent clause After Rome expanded its empire to its largest size, Hadrian removed troops and set boundaries. Which clause is the independent clause and which is the dependent?

© Capital Community College Did you guess or did you know? Then explain why… The Internet, which started out as a means for military and academic types to share documents, has become a household necessity. Does this help? The Internet has become a household necessity. which started out as a means for military and academic types to share documents,

© Capital Community College Clauses: Building Blocks for Sentences Understanding CLAUSES and how they are connected within the larger structure of your sentence will help you avoid Sentence FragmentsRun-on Sentences and make it possible for you to punctuate your sentences properly AND write confidently with a variety of sentence structures.variety of sentence structures