CLAUSES AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Mrs. Graham
WBHS 2007
LET’S START EASY….

There are four types of sentences:

Declarative (makes a statement)

Ex: I have three pets.

Imperative (gives a command or makes a

request)

Get off the table.

Interrogative (asks a question)

Ex: How many pets do you have?

Exclamatory (expresses strong emotion)

She is such a beautiful dog!
EVERY SENTENCE MUST HAVE AT LEAST
ONE MAIN CLAUSE….(WHAT ARE THOSE?)

A clause: a group of words that

has a subject and a predicate.

A clause can function as a
sentence by itself or as part of
a sentence.
THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF CLAUSES…
MAIN CLAUSES The The cast bowed

Every sentence must and the
have a main clause curtain audience

Main clauses has a rose. applauded.
subject and a predicate
and expresses a The actors and Unless Rachel
complete thought. crew smiled and goes with us, we
bowed, and the won’t know

It is the only type of
audience cheered how to get
clause that can stand and clapped.
alone as a sentence. there.

A main clause can be
also called an Alex’s project,
independent clause. which was a
demonstration of

Conjunctions cannot be
centrifugal force,
included in your clauses.
won first prize.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSES When the
Dogs that
dog
obey are a

Subordinate clauses (also barked, the
joy.
called dependent clause) baby cried.
has a subject and a
predicate, but DOES NOT
express a complete Julie and
Whoever
thought. her friends
joins the
It cannot stand alone as a went to a

circus will
sentence. movie that
travel
There are 3 types of they had

across the
subordinate clauses: already
country.
adjective clauses, adverb seen.
clauses, and noun clauses.

In some cases, (see Whenever
example 3) a relative
pronoun can also function it snows,
as the subject of both main Alfonso and
and subordinate clauses. Max head
for the
slopes.
 SUBORDINATE CLAUSES: ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

Adjective Clauses: a
Magazines Several subordinate clause that
that inform writers whom modifies (describes) a noun
and I admire or a pronoun.
entertain are contribute to
May begin with a relative
my favorites. magazines. pronoun (who, whom,
whose, that, and which)

An adjective clause
normally follows the word
The store it modifies.
where I buy National

Sometimes the relative
magazines Geographic is
pronoun is dropped from
sponsors the magazine I
the beginning of an
readings by like the best.
adjective clause. (See ex. 4)
contributors.
TWO TYPES OF ADJECTIVE CLAUSES….
Restrictive (essential)

Restrictive Clauses: an
adjective clause that are
necessary to make the
meaning of a sentence clear

It must not be set off by
commas.

Example:

Magazines that have no
substance bore me.

Many writers whose works
have become famous began
their writing careers at the
New Yorker magazine.
Non-restrictive (non-
essential)

Non-restructive Clauses: an
adjective clause that is not
necessary to make the
meaning of the sentence
clear

Always use commas to set
off a non-essential clause.

Example:

James Thurber, who was a
famous humorist, wrote
for the New Yorker.
**Use that to introduce an
essential clause and which to
begin a non-essential clause.
ADVERB CLAUSES
Before I took
I studied longer

Adverb Clause: a the test, I
than I had ever
studied for
subordinate clause studied before.
hours.
that modifies
(describes) a verb, an I was happy
adjective, or an because I She can swim
adverb. passed the faster than I.
test.

It tells when, where,
how, why, to what
While walking,
extent, or under what she listens to the
conditions. radio.

Noun clauses: a subordinate
NOUN CLAUSES clause that is used as a noun
within the main clause of a
The reporter
Whoever wins sentence
will do
the election whatever is
You can use a noun clause as
will speak. required to get a subject, a direct object, an
an interview. indirect object, an object of a
(Subject)
(D.O) preposition, or a predicate
nominative.
The senator will
give whoever A news story
asks an should begin
interview. (I.O) with whatever Words that can introduce
gets the noun clauses: how, however,
reader’s if, that, what, whatever,
That is why she
attention. when, where, wherever,
included specific (Object of Prep) whether, which, whichever,
data in the article. who, whom, whoever,
(Predicate
Nominative)
whomever, whose, why
BACK TO THOSE SENTENCES….

There are four kinds of

sentence structure:

Simple

Compound

Complex

Compound-complex
Simple Sentences

Contains only one
main clause and no
subordinate clauses.

A simple sentence
may contain a
compound subject, a
compound predicate,
or both.

Ex:

Stories entertain.

Stories and riddles
entertain and amuse.

Stories about the Old
West entertain adults
and children alike.
Compound Sentences

Contains two or more main
clauses.

May be joined in any of four
ways:

With a comma and a
coordinating conjunction
(FANBOYS)

With a semi-colon

With a semi-colon and a
conjunctive adverb (as, however,
therefore, nevertheless)

With a semi-colon and an
expression such as for example
Examples:
Stories entertain me, and
riddles amuse me, but poems
are my favorite.
Talented oral storytellers are
rare; Spalding Gray is
exceptional.
 Complex Sentences Compound-Complex Sentences

Contains one main
Contains two or more

clause and one or main clauses and at least
more subordinate one subordinate clause
clauses
Examples:

Examples:
I like Toni Cade Main Clause
Bambara’s stories I read Frankenstein,
Main
Clause because they have which Mary Shelley
good characters. Sub. wrote, and I reported
Clause
on it.
Subordinate
Clause Main Clause
THE END!!