Types of Clauses

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What is a clause?

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A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It can be independent (able to stand alone) or dependent (cannot stand alone).

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What is an independent clause?

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An independent clause is a clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.

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What is a dependent clause?

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A dependent clause is a clause that does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence.

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What is an adverb clause?

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An adverb clause is a dependent clause that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb, often indicating time, cause, condition, or manner.

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What is an adjective clause?

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An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun, providing more information about it.

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What is a noun clause?

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A noun clause is a dependent clause that acts as a noun in a sentence, often serving as a subject, object, or complement.

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Example of an adverb clause:

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"Because I was tired, I went to bed early." (The clause 'Because I was tired' modifies the verb 'went').

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Example of an adjective clause:

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"The book that I borrowed was fascinating." (The clause 'that I borrowed' modifies the noun 'book').

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Example of a noun clause:

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"What you said was surprising." (The clause 'What you said' acts as the subject of the sentence).

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How do you identify an adverb clause?

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Look for a dependent clause that answers questions like 'why?', 'when?', 'where?', or 'how?' about the verb.