2. Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
Ms . Nieves set up citizens ’ councils as a way
for local families to get involved . But militia
rule has accustomed many to the idea that
power belongs to whomever has the guns .
Make it “whoever.” The case of a relative pronoun is
determined by its function within the relative clause; here,
the pronoun is the subject of “has,” so we need the subjective
or nominative case “whoever.” The pronoun is not the object
of the preposition “to”; the entire relative clause serves that
function.
3. Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
Whether the legislation is successful , it is
certain to infuse a strain of drama into a day
that state officials had plainly hoped would be
procedural and perfunctory .
When the expression means “regardless of
whether,” as here, we need “whether or not,”
not just “whether.”
4. Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
“ I knew if I actually wanted to ask the hard
questions and get anywhere , it had to be the U
. S . , ” Mr . Aggarwal said . “ It ’ s definitely still
the premiere place . ”
“Premiere” is a noun meaning first
performance. Make it “premier.”
5. A clause is a group of words that
contains a verb and its subject and that
is used as part of a sentence.
SENTENCE Lichens are small, rootless plants that
are composed of both fungi and algae.
CLAUSE Lichens are small, rootless plants.
[complete thought]
CLAUSE that are composed of both fungi and
algae [incomplete thought]Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
6. An independent (or main) clause
expresses a complete thought and can
stand by itself as a sentence.
The Titanic was the largest ship afloat, and
people were amazed by its size.
When the ship left Southampton, its
passengers were looking forward to the
voyage. Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
7. A subordinate (or dependent) clause
does not express a complete thought
and cannot stand alone.
When the ship left Southampton, its
passengers were looking forward to the
voyage
Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
10. An adjective clause is a subordinate clause
that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
An adjective clause, which usually follows the
word it modifies, usually begins with a relative
pronoun— who, whom, whose, which, or that.
Besides introducing an adjective clause, a relative
pronoun has its own function within the clause.
AdjectiveClause
Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
11. J. Bruce Ismay, who managed the White
Star Line, was on board.
[The adjective clause modifies J. Bruce
Ismay. Who serves as the subject of
managed.]
The ship, whose hold was filled to
capacity, set off into the Atlantic.
[The adjective clause modifies the noun
ship. Whose serves as an adjective
modifying hold.] Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
12. A relative pronoun may sometimes be left
out of an adjective clause.
Did the captain know [that] icebergs were
ahead?
Occasionally an adjective clause begins
with the relative adverb where or when.
It was after midnight when the alarm
sounded.
The captain saw where the iceberg hit
the ship.
Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
13. Depending on how it is used, an adjective
clause is either essential or nonessential.
An essential clause provides information that is
necessary to the meaning of a sentence.
A nonessential clause provides additional
information that can be omitted without changing
the meaning of a sentence. A nonessential clause is
always set off by commas.
ESSENTIAL: Students who are going to the game
can take the bus at 4 p.m.
NONESSENTIAL: Austin Stevens, whose mother is a
pediatrician, plans to study medicine.Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
15. An adverb clause is a subordinate
clause that modifies a verb, an
adjective, or an adverb.
An adverb clause, which may come before
or after the word it modifies, tells how,
when, where, why, to what extent (how
much), or under what condition. An adverb
clause begins with a subordinating
conjunction, such as although, because,
if, so that, or when.
Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
16. The passengers panicked when they realized what
had happened.
[The adverb phrase modifies the verb panicked,
telling when.]
Although the ship had lifeboats, there were not
enough.
[The adverb clause modifies were, telling under
what condition.]
Some passengers were more selfish than others.
[The adverb clause modifies selfish, telling to what
extent.] Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
17. A noun clause is a subordinate clause
used as a subject, a predicate
nominative, a direct object, an
indirect object, or an object of a
preposition.
The words commonly used to begin
noun clauses include that, what,
whether, who, and why.
NounsClauses
Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
18. SUBJECT: What the shipmates faced
was an impossible task.
PREDICATE NOMINATIVE: A major
wonder was that so many survived
the disaster.
DIRECT OBJECT Who knows whether
the disaster could have been
avoided? Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
19. Classifying Sentences by Structure
Sentences may be classified as simple, compound, complex, or
compound-complex.
(1) A simple sentence has one independent clause and no subordinate
clauses.
Cora and Kareem bought party supplies.
Look at this!
(2) A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses but
no subordinate clauses.
Cora hung streamers from the ceiling, and Kareem set party favors on
the tables.
The lightning diminished; the storm was over.
Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
20. Mr. El-Sayed Ramadan
(3) A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least
one subordinate clause.
After they got home, they unloaded the wagon.
[The subordinate clause is after they got home; the independent
clause is they unloaded the wagon.]
As he ran, sweat darkened the shirt that he was wearing.
[The subordinate clauses are as he ran and that he was wearing.]
(4) A compound-complex sentence contains two or more
independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause.
When the boys were ready, they piled into the car, and their father
turned the key.
[The independent clauses are they piled into the car and their father
turned the key.
The subordinate clause is when the boys were ready.]
