Recognizing and Constructing English Clauses

This video describes recognizing and constructing clauses in English. A clause is the basic building block of a sentence; by definition, it must contain a subject and a verb. Although they appear simple, clauses can function in complex ways in English syntax. A clause can function as a simple sentence, or it may be joined to other clauses with conjunctions to form complex sentences. A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. It may be either a complete sentence (also known as an independent or main clause) or a sentence-like construction within another sentence (called a dependent or subordinate clause). Independent: Charlie bought a '57 Thunderbird. Dependent: Because he loved classic cars Adverbial Clause Another dependent clause, adverbial clauses function like an adverb, indicating time, place, condition, contrast, concession, reason, purpose, or result. Typically, an adverbial clause is set off with a comma and subordinating conjunction. Example: Although Billy loves pasta and bread, he's on a no-carb diet. Complement Clause Complementary clauses function like adjectives modifying a verb a or a noun. They usually begin with a subordinating conjunction that. Example: I never expected that you would fly to Japan.