In English sentences, there must be a clause. Without us realizing it, we may have made an example of a clause . So, now is the time to learn what a clause is in English and what are its characteristics and types? Come on, read this article until the end so that your English will be more proficient!
What is a Clause?
Clause is a group of words that have a subject and predicate. A clause is part of a sentence, but a clause can also be a sentence. So a sentence can consist of only one clause, but there are also sentences that consist of several clauses. The predicate in a clause can be filled with a verb or a non-verbal predicate.
It should also be noted that not all clauses function as complete sentences, because there are still some that are incomplete. To make it easier to understand, we need to know what are the differences between clauses and sentences?
First, sentences produce a complete idea, while clauses do not always. If a clause produces a complete idea, then it can be called a sentence. A clause is a part that forms a sentence and its role can be a noun, adjective, or adverb.
Examples of clauses that form their own sentences are:
- She is eating : She is eating.
- He was sleeping : He was sleeping.
Examples of clauses that do not form their own sentences are:
- When he arrived home : When he arrived home.
- While I was sleeping : While I was sleeping.
From the example above, it can be seen that the clause that forms the sentence can stand alone without any additional information. However, other more complete information can still be added. Meanwhile, the second example clause is an adverb that requires continuation to form a sentence that has a complete idea. For example:
- The baby was sleeping when he arrived home : The baby was sleeping when he arrived home.
- That cat broke the glass when I was sleeping : That cat broke the glass when I was sleeping.
Characteristics of Clause
So that Pijar Friends can better understand what a clause is, let’s find out what its characteristics are below:
Having Subject and Predicate
As explained earlier, a clause must have a subject and a predicate. The predicate can be a verb, or it can be a non-verbal predicate that is not a verb. If there is no subject and predicate, then it cannot be called a clause.
The grammar is regular
In relation to the first characteristic, because the clause consists of a subject and a predicate, its grammar is regular, in accordance with the rules in English. This regular grammar serves to convey a clear meaning.
Can Express Complete Ideas
Clauses can express complete, whole ideas, so they can be a stand-alone sentence like the example above. But not all clauses express complete ideas and must be added with additional clauses or additional information.
For example:
He sings awfully : He sings awfully.
In the above clause, the subject is ‘he’ and ‘sings awfully’ is the predicate.
Can be Independent and Can be Dependent on Sentences
Related to the previous characteristics, clauses can stand alone and form sentences. But there are also clauses that depend on sentences.
For example, in the sentence ‘ The cat, which had folded ears, purred loudly. ‘ This sentence is actually a core sentence ‘The cat purred loudly ‘ which is an independent clause, can stand alone. But then another clause is added ‘ which had folded ears ,’ which is a clause that cannot stand alone, depends on the core sentence.
Can be developed
As in the example above, clauses can be developed into complete sentences that are more descriptive. For example, in the clause ‘ They stopped building sandcastles’ which can actually stand alone. But to make it more complete, it can be developed by adding another clause, for example becoming ‘They stopped building sandcastles, since it started raining.’ The clause ‘ since it started raining’ is a development of an idea that cannot stand alone.
Types of Clauses
Do you know, Pijar friends, how many clauses are there in English? Based on their function, clauses are divided into 3, namely adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and noun clauses. Check out the explanation of the three below, let’s go.
Adjective Clause
Adjective clause is a group of words consisting of a subject and a predicate that function as adjectives. How many adjective clauses are there? There are 2 types, namely:
1. Adjective Clause Starting with Adverb
It is an adjective clause that begins with when, where, or why. The adverb position is also usually at the beginning of the clause. For example, He wrote a song about high school, where he spent fond memories with a bunch of great friends.
2. Adjective Clause with Relative Pronoun
It is an adjective clause that begins with who, whom, whose, which, or that. The relative pronoun is usually placed in front of the clause. For example, The lazy cat, which always sleeps beside the sofa, never once ran after mice or birds.
Adverb Clause
Adverb clause is a clause whose predicate is modified by another adverb. Adverb clause can answer questions such as when, why, how, where, etc., according to the function of adverbs in English.
Example of the sentence ‘ They will go later. ‘
The word ‘later’ can be changed into an adverb clause as ‘ They will go after the sun sets. ‘
Noun Clause
Noun clause is a group of words consisting of a subject and a verb, when combined its function becomes a noun. To better understand, see the example below:
She doesn’t want to know the things in her mom’s breakfast juice
(He doesn’t want to know what’s in his mother’s breakfast juice)
The noun in the sentence above is ‘the things’ which can be further developed into a clause. For example, it becomes like this:
She doesn’t want to know what her mom added in her breakfast juice
(He doesn’t want to know what his mother added to his breakfast juice)
In the second sentence, ‘the things’ is made into a clause by replacing it with ‘ what her mom added .’ This is an example of a noun clause that functions as a noun.