Tricks to identify type of clause
Identifying a subordinate clause could be possible with the help of subordinating conjunctions. However, it can become a tricky business to identify the type of a subordinate clause.
Clause: A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate. A clause must contain a verb. There are two types of clauses:
- Independent clause or Main clause
- Dependent clause or Subordinate clause
- Independent clause: It expresses a complete meaning by itself. The group of words given would make complete sense. Simple sentences and compound sentences are independent clauses.
For example: Drinking juice is beneficial for health.
Dogs are very loyal to their owners.
Trick 1 : To identify a dependent clause
Dependent clause: It cannot stand alone i.e. it doesn’t make complete sense on its own. It usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. Complex sentences have dependent clauses.
Subordinate conjunctions: as, because, since, after, so that, as long as, etc.
Relative pronouns: that, which, who, whom, where, etc.
For example: He didn’t realise that he was lost.
How Shyam behaved was very polite.
A dependent clause is of three types:
- Noun clause
- Relative clause or Adjective clause
- Adverbial clause
Trick 2: To identify a noun clause
Noun clause: Noun clause plays the role in a subject-verb unit, i.e., a noun in a sentence. It is used as a subject or an object.
When the clause behaves as a subject, it is followed by a verb.
When the clause behaves as an object, it is preceded by a verb.
To confirm if it is a noun clause, replace the dependent clause with a pronoun (he, she, it, they, that, there, etc.)
For example: She didn’t expect that she would come first in the class.
Let’s replace the dependent clause by ‘it’. → She didn’t expect it. Makes sense?
Apply the same trick on the following sentence and see if it makes sense.
How Shyam behaved was not polite.
Why do you think it works? Remember the definition of pronoun? → A word that can be used in place of a noun. See something similar here?
Note: Click on the following images to read the text in them properly.
Please have a look at the following sentences, and see what role nouns/pronouns play in each of them:
Functions of a noun clause:
Adjective clause: This type of clauses modifies a noun or pronoun and comes right after the noun it modifies. It usually begins with a relative pronoun.
Relative pronouns : who, what, which, that, whom, whose
Adverbial clause: Adverbial clause plays the role of an adverb in a sentence. It begins with subordinating conjunctions.
Subordinating conjunctions: if, since, when, whenever, till, until, before, since, while, where, wherever, because, as, that, so that, lest, so….that, such…..that, unless, provided, as if, as though, than, before, after, although, even though.
In adverbial clause, we can switch around the clauses. It means an adverbial clause can be placed at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence.
For example: I missed the train because the alarm didn’t go off.
After switching the clauses: Because the alarm didn’t go off, I missed the train.
REMEMBER:
If the adverbial clause is at the beginning, there will be one comma.
If the adverbial clause is in the middle, there will be two commas.
If the adverbial clause is at the end, there will be no comma.
To confirm if it is an adverbial clause, replace it with a normal adverb: quickly, yesterday, there, here, very, everywhere, usually, often, never, seldom, etc.
Let’s summarise these tricks!
