Clauses Ed McCorduck English 402--Grammar SUNY Cortland http://mccorduck.cortland.edu

slide 2: clauses vs. sentences clause - a phrase consisting of one of the ten sentence patterns sentence - at least one clause beginning with a capital letter and ending in stop punctuation (e.g., a period, exclamation mark or question mark) All (complete) sentences are clauses, but not all clauses are sentences. English 402: Grammar

slide 3: independent clauses vs. dependent clauses There are two main types of clauses: independent clause (a.k.a. “main clause”) – can be a sentence by itself dependent clause – cannot be a sentence by itself (must be combined with an independent clause in a sentence) subordinate clause – a dependent clause joined to an independent clause by a subordinator (e.g., when, after, before, while, whereas, because, since, if) English 402: Grammar

slide 4: simple sentences There are four main types of sentences: simple (contains only one independent clause) ex Dexter is kind. independent clause Pattern II English 402: Grammar

slide 5: compound sentences compound (two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinator, e.g., and, but, or) ex Dexter is kind, and he never cusses. independent clause independent clause Pattern II Pattern VI English 402: Grammar

slide 6: complex sentences complex (an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses in one sentence) ex Dexter is kind when he’s sober. independent clause subordinator independent clause Pattern II Pattern II cf. When he’s sober. a “sentence fragment” and an “error” in prescriptive grammar English 402: Grammar

slide 7: examples of complex sentences that are even more complex exx Dexter never cusses when he’s sober or independent clause subordinator dependent clause (when) his probation officer is in the room. subordinator dependent clause after his probation officer enters the room. subordinator dependent clause English 402: Grammar

slide 8: compound/complex sentences compound/complex (two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause) ex Dexter is kind and he never cusses when he’s sober. independent clause coordinator independent clause dependent clause English 402: Grammar

slide 9: false compound/complex sentences cf. Dexter is kind and considerate when he’s sober. independent clause coordinator coordinate adjective dependent clause complex sentence Dexter never cusses when his probation officer or independent clause subordinator coordinate subject his mother-in-law is in the room. coordinate subject (when his probation officer or his mother is in the room – dependent clause) English 402: Grammar

slide 10: clauses as adverbials As noted in my “Adverbs and Adverbials” lecture, clauses—especially dependent clauses—can function as adverbials in sentences. English 402: Grammar

slide 11: examples of clauses functioning as adverbials She slapped him because he was getting annoying. main (independent) clause dependent clause (with subordinator because, subj he and predicate was getting annoying) functioning as an adverbial (answers the question “Why?”) Because he was getting annoying, she slapped him. adverbial m.c. English 402: Grammar

slide 12: more examples of adverbial clauses She slapped him when he crawled home late. main (independent) clause dependent clause (with subordinator when, subj he and predicate crawled home late) functioning as an adverbial (answers the question “When?”, or maybe “Why?”) When he crawled home late, she slapped him. adverbial m.c. (more likely “Why?” than “When?”) English 402: Grammar

slide 13: Reed-Kellogg diagrams of sentences with adverbial clauses In Reed-Kellogg diagrams, dependent clauses functioning as adverbials are diagrammed using a dashed/dotted slanted line that runs from the horizontal line of the main clause—starting underneath the main verb, as adverbials of other types that we have seen have done—to a position close to but not touching a separate diagram of the clause. For example, here is the Reed-Kellogg diagram of the sentence She slapped him when he arrived: English 402: Grammar

slide 14: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a sentence with an adverb clause English 402: Grammar

slide 15: Reed-Kellogg diagrams when an adverbial clause comes first in a sentence Note that even if on the surface the adverbial dependent is moved to the beginning of the sentence, in the Reed-Kellogg diagram the adverbial clause still occurs in its normal position as an adverbial, i.e., joined by a dashed/dotted slanting line to under the main horizontal line after the subject/predicate vertical dividing line. Only the capitalization of the first letter of the subordinator indicates the relative position on the surface of the dependent and main clauses. Thus, here is the Reed-Kellogg diagram of the sentence When he arrived, she slapped him: English 402: Grammar

slide 16: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagrams when an adverbial clause comes first in a sentence English 402: Grammar