This document defines and provides examples of different types of clauses, including main/independent clauses which can stand alone as sentences, and subordinate/dependent clauses which cannot stand alone and need to be attached to an independent clause. It discusses noun clauses, adjective clauses, adverb clauses, complement clauses, and embedded clauses. Noun clauses function as subjects, objects, or objects of prepositions. Adjective clauses modify nouns. Adverb clauses modify verbs and provide information like manner, place, time, reason, purpose, result, comparison, or condition. Complement clauses are arguments of verbs, nouns, adjectives or prepositions. Embedded clauses are clauses placed inside other clauses.

1. KINDS OF
CLAUSES

3. Clauses
Main Clause /
Independent Clause
Subordinate Clause /
Dependent Clause
Noun
Clause
Adjective
Clause
Adverbial
Clause
Complement
Clause
Embedded
Clause

4. What is Clause?
Clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a
verb.
For example:
‘I like the blue sweater’

5. Independent Clause
 Independent Clause is a clause that expresses a
complete thought and can stand as a sentence.
 It makes sense by itself.
e.g.:
1. She has finished working.
2. The hound was tired and he panted.

6. Dependent Clause
 Dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it
does not express a complete thought.
 It contains a subject and verb. But, it cannot stand alone as a sentence. It needs, or
depends upon, an independent clause to make sense.
 It is signaled by subordinating conjunctions (after, because, before, since, though,
while, when, unless, etc).
 It can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. If the clause is at the
beginning or in the middle of a sentence, it is set off by commas.
e.g.:
1. She won’t come unless you invite her.
2. When it began to rain, the fire went out.
3. The fire, while it burned, lit the sky.

7. Noun Clause
A noun clause is a dependent clause that acts as a noun. It can be the subject,
object and object of preposition.
1. The subject of a verb
What he said was very strange.
Where he went was a secret.
2. The object of a verb
I did not understand what he said.
Tell me where you will go.
3. The object of a preposition
We were very interested in what he said.
I agreed with what he proposed.

8. Adjective Clause
An adjective clause is a dependent clause that is used to modify a noun or a
pronoun.
An adjective clause answers the adjective question Which one? or What kind of? It
usually modifies the word directly in front of it.
Adjective clause begins with relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that)
Examples:
 Which one? Ken’s address book, which is small and black, is lost.
 What kind? Cathy likes hamburgers that are cooked on a charcoal grill.

9. Adverbial Clause
An Adverbial Clause is a dependent clause that is used mainly to modify a verb.
 Adverbial clause answers the adverb question How? When? Where? Under what
condition? or Why?
 It begins with a subordinating conjunction.
1. Manner: It indicates how an action is done.
I shall do the exercises as I have been taught.
You look as if you had seen a ghost.
Do as I told you.
2. Place: It indicates where an action was done.
The building stood where Jordan Road meets
Nathan Road.
I will go wherever you go.
Stay where you are!
After In order that
Although Since
As So that
As far as Than
As if Though
As long as Unless
As soon as Until
As though When
Because Whenever
Before Where
Even though Wherever
If While

10. Adverb Clause
3. Time : It indicates when an action was done.
As soon as the crowd heard the news, they rushed to the street.
After the music had finished, he bowed to the audience.
4. Reason: It indicates why an action was done.
He succeeded because he worked hard.
He was injured because he drove too fast.
5. Purpose: it indicates the purpose or reason for the action stated in the main clause.
She opened the book in order that her friend might look at the picture.
He is working late so that he may be free to go away tomorrow.

11. Adverb Clause
6. Result: It indicates the result or outcome of an action or event stated in the main
clause.
He was such a hard worker that we all expected him to pass.
He was so frightened that he did not go on.
7. Comparison: It indicates to what degree something is done or offers a
comparison
This work is not so easy as you think.
That question is easier than I thought.
8. Condition: It indicates the condition for the main clause to come into effect.
I shall go if he asks me.
If I dropped this, it would explode.
If I had known of your arrival, I should have met you

12. Matrix and Complement Clause
 Complement clause
A clause that has complementizers (that/if/whether) and that functions as
an argument (subject or object).
 Matrix Clause
A clause that contains a complement clause.
e.g. [The Psychic knows {that/whether/if the contestant will win}]
The smaller bracketed (curly brackets) is called a complement clause, while the larger
phrase in which it occurs is called the matrix clause.
(O’Grady, Syntax : The analysis of sentence structure, pg. 199)

13. Complementizer Phrase (CP)
 Complementizers (Cs) introduce an S complement, forming the CP
(Complementizer Phrase).
(O’Grady, Pg. 200)

14. The Structure of Complementizer
Phrase
CP
S
C
NP
Det Infl
VP
V
That/whether/if the contestant will win
N
CP C S
Form :
C as the head. S as the complement of C.

15. Some Verbs Permitting CP
Complements
Complement(s) Sample Heads Example
CP Believe, know, think,
remember
They believe [CP that Eric left]
NP CP persuade, tell They told [NP Mary ][CP that Eric
had left]
PP to CP Convince, promise,
concede, admit
They admitted [PP to Mary] [CP
that Eric had left]
O’Grady, Pg. 201

16. Some Adjectives, Nouns, and
Prepositions Permitting CP Complements
Items Example with CP Complement
Adjectives
Afraid, certain, aware, confident
They are afraid [CP that Eric left]
Nouns
Claim, belief, fact, knowledge, proof
They lack proof [CP that Eric left]
Prepositions
Over, about
They argued over [CP whether Eric had
left]

17. CP Complements
CP can occur in a sentence as :
1. Complement of the verb
e.g. The psychic knows [CPthat/whether/if the contestant will win].
 Not all verbs can take a CP complement.

18. CP Complements
2. Complement of Noun
e.g. They lack proof [CP that Eric left].
NP
N CP
proof that Eric will leave

19. CP Complements
3. Complement of Adjective
e.g. They are afraid [CP that Eric left].
AP
A CP
afraid that Eric will leave

20. CP Complements
4. Complement of P (in addition to a V)
e.g. They talk about [CP whether Eric will leave.]
PP
P
CP
(talk) about whether Eric will leave

21. Embedded Clause
 Embedded Clause is a clause that is formed by placing a
clause inside another clause.
e.g. The psychic knows that/whether/if the contestant will win.

22. The Structure of A Sentence with an
Embedded CP
S
NP VP
CP
S
VP
NP
CP
C
V
Infl
Det
N
Non
Past N
Det
Infl
V
the psychic knows That/
whet
her/if
the Conte-
stant
will win
CP serves as complement of the verb know

23. Embedded Clause
 There is no limit on the number of embedded clauses that can occur in a
sentence.
e.g. A man thought that a woman said that sue reported that…
(O’Grady, Syntax : The analysis of Sentence Structure, Pg. 201)

24. S
CP
S
VP
Infl
NP
CP
V
VP
Pst
NP
N
Det
C
V
Infl
Pst
N
Det
A man thought that a woman said that Sue reported that..
This structure is made possible by the fact that each CP complement can contain a verb that it self
permits a complement CP. The topmost clause contains the verb think, whose complement clause
contains the verb say, whose complement clause contains report, and so on.

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