1. Independent Clauses
* Definition: A complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb.
* Example: *The cat sat on the mat.* (Subject: cat; Verb: sat)
2. Dependent Clauses
* Definition: An incomplete thought that cannot stand alone as a sentence. It relies on an independent clause for its meaning. Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses.
* Types of Dependent Clauses:
* Adjective Clauses: Describe a noun or pronoun. They often begin with words like *who, whom, whose, which, that*.
* Example: *The book that I borrowed from the library is really interesting.* (The adjective clause describes the noun "book")
* Adverb Clauses: Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often begin with words like *because, although, since, when, where, if, unless*.
* Example: *I went to the store because I needed milk.* (The adverb clause tells why the speaker went to the store)
* Noun Clauses: Function as nouns within a sentence. They can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb. They often begin with words like *that, what, who, whoever, whomever, whether, why, where, how*.
* Example: *What I did was completely wrong.* (The noun clause is the subject of the sentence)
3. Relative Clauses
* Definition: A specific type of adjective clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. They are introduced by a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that).
* Example: *The dog that chased the squirrel is brown.* (The relative clause modifies the noun "dog")
How Clauses Work Together
* Simple Sentences: Consist of a single independent clause.
* Compound Sentences: Contain two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
* Complex Sentences: Contain one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
* Compound-Complex Sentences: Contain two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Let me know if you'd like more detailed explanations of any specific clause type or examples of different types of sentences!