NOTES ON CLAUSES AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE Be ready to take good notes!

Clauses: Building Blocks for Sentences A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a verb. It is different from a phrase in that a phrase does not include a subject and a verb relationship.phrase

Clauses: Building Blocks for Sentences 1.Independent: A clause that can stand by itself and still make sense. An independent clause could be its own sentence, but it can also be combined with other clauses. 2. Dependent: A clause that cannot stand by itself. It depends on something else, like an independent clause, for its meaning. A dependent clause trying to stand by itself would be a sentence fragment.sentence fragment Dependent clauses are sometimes called subordinate clauses.

Examples of Independent Clauses: Glaciers often leave behind holes in the ground. These holes are called kettles, and they look just like scooped-out pots. Glaciers also leave behind enormous deposits of glacial “garbage”; these deposits are called moraines.

Independent clauses can be connected in a variety of ways: 1.By a comma and coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, and sometimes so). 2. By a semicolonsemicolon, by itself. 3. And, of course, independent clauses are often not connected by punctuation at all but are separated by a period.

Dependent clauses can be identified and classified according to their role in the sentence. No matter what, all dependent clauses will start with a subordinating conjunction. If the first word is NOT a subordinating conjunction, then it will not be dependent. (This is true 99% of the time!)

Examples of Dependent Clause: If you win the lottery When you go to the movies Since you study for the test Notice each dependent clause has a subject and a verb.

Simple Sentences A simple sentence consists of only one independent clause. Mark is an athlete. Mark is the complete subject and ‘is an athlete’ is the complete predicate.

Which of the following are simple sentences? 1.I am hungry. 2.The door was locked. 3.I will always love you. 4.Chelsea won again! 5.Where were you?

They all were! Each one had only a subject and a predicate, and they all made sense by themselves!

REMEMBER! Simple sentences are not always short sentences. The following is a simple sentence: “In the 19 th century, the Count of Monte Cristo and the three Musketeers presented images of romantic heroism to the reader.” There is only one subject and one verb in this sentence.

Compound Sentences: Consist of two or more independent clauses. Compound sentences are connected using a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). Example: I forgot my lunch, but Dad ran to the bus with it. This could be separated into: I forgot my lunch. Dad ran to the bus with it.

Examples of compound sentence: 1.I was tired last night, but I’m ok now. 2.I went to Foot Locker, and I bought a pair of sneakers.

Complex sentences A complex sentence is a sentence containing one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Example: Because basketball season is ending, I will be very sad. Dependent Clause: Because basketball season is ending Independent Clause: I will be very sad.

COMPLEX SENTENCE: SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS It doesn’t matter which order the clauses go in…. Bob is popular even though he is ugly. Clause 1 Clause 2 Independent Dependent When the MAIN clause is first, it is usually NOT followed by a comma!

COMPLEX SENTENCE: SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS It doesn’t matter which order the clauses go in…. Even though Bob is ugly, he is popular. Clause 1 Clause 2 Dependent Independent

COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE: COMBINES BOTH TYPES Two independent clauses and at least ONE dependent clause. Example: Mike is popular because he is good looking, but he is not very happy. Punctuate each clause according to its rules!

Examples of Compound- Complex Sentence: 1.Although you got the answers, I am right and you are wrong. 2.I will always love you because you are my soul mate and you mean everything to me.