What is a Clause | Types | Examples

A clause is a unit of grammar that is made up of a rule-governed structuring of words having a subject and a predicate (at least a verb), and may or may not express meaning independently. Clauses are the second largest grammatical units after the sentence on the grammatical rank scale. They can either express meaning on their own without any form of dependence, or they may depend on other clauses depending on the structure. There are two types of clauses namely:

1. Independent/Main Clause
2. Dependent/Subordinate Clause

Independent Clause

Independent clauses are clauses that are not dependent on any element for their meaning as they can stand alone and still make complete sense. Examples of Independent clauses;

1. John is a boy.
2. He lives in a pineapple.
3. The schools were shut down today.
4. Kings don’t play games.
5. Time is precious.

N: B: Independent clauses are equivalent to sentences.

Dependent Clause

Dependent clauses are clauses that rely on other clauses (independent clauses) to make complete sense. They mostly perform the function of supplying additional or circumstantial information about the main clauses they depend on.

Types of dependent clauses include;

1. Noun clause
2. Adjectival clause
3. Adverbial clause
4. Comparative clause

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Noun Clause

Noun clauses are subordinate clauses that function as nouns. Simply put, noun clauses function as nouns such that they can stand as a subject, object, and even complement, and they are introduced by relative pronouns such as: Who, Whom, Which, Whose, etc., Examples include;

1. What you did is wrong. (Noun clause as subject)
2. We don’t know who you are. (Noun clause as complement)
3. I like what you designed for me. (Noun clause as a complement)
4. They want what you know. (Noun clause as a object)
5. He is not who he says he is. (Noun clause as a complement)

Adjectival Clause

Adjectival clauses are subordinate clauses also known as relative clauses that function as adjectives by modifying nouns or nominal elements. They expound more on nouns or nominal elements, and they are positioned right after the noun they modify. Relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns such as: who, that, whose, which, etc.

There are two types of relative clauses:

1. Restricted relative clause
2. Non-restricted relative clause

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Restricted Clause

Restricted relative clauses are relative clauses bound by commas depending on where they appear in a sentence whose meaning is not instrumental or essential to the meaning of a sentence. Examples include;

1. Mr. John, who lives next door, is living.
2. The dogs, that thrashed my cat, are now friendly.
3. James and John, whose books were found outside, are being punished.
4. The diary, which has many secrets, must be protected.

Non-restricted Clause 

Non-restricted relative clauses are relative clauses that are relevant to the meaning of a sentence and as such, they are not separated from the sentence by commas. Examples include;

1. Wole Soyinka who writes is a genius.
2. The boys that were escorted home are now well-behaved.
3. The kid whose book was stolen has been compensated.
4. The diary that has many secrets must be protected.

Adverbial Clause

Adverbial clauses are subordinate clauses that function as adverbs by serving the purpose of modifying verbs. They usually appear before or after the independent clause in a sentence. Examples include;

1. By the time you wake up, we would have left.
2. Although she is smart, she failed the exam.
3. We must leave so that we can catch up. We will miss the flight if we stay. 

Read more on adverbial clause 

Comparative Clause 

Comparative clauses are subordinate clauses that modify comparative adjectives or adverbs giving more information about them. Examples include;

1. I am stronger than you are.
2. He runs faster than I expected.
3. They cooked better than the chefs did.
4. You look thinner than I thought.

If you find it difficult to identify subordinate clauses, simply separate the clauses in a sentence and study the functions they perform, and try to figure out if they can express complete sense on their own.

Related posts:

• Dependent clauses: What you need to Know 
• Grammatical Rank Scale Explained