LODHA WORLD SCHOOL

Subject: English Language

Std: VI

AN INTRODUCTION TO CLAUSES

Clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a predicate.

For example,

I will meet him in the office.

The part of the above sentence ‘I will meet him’ is a clause because it has a subject (I) and a
predicate (will meet him). On the other hand, the rest of the above sentence ‘in the office’ lacks
both subject and predicate.

Types of clauses

There are two major types of clauses main or independent clause and subordinate or dependent
cause.

An independent clause has a subject and a verb, expresses a complete thought, and can stand
alone as a complete sentence because it doesn't depend on anything else to complete the thought.

Examples:

1. Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemming lived in Paris for a time.

2. Martha Jackson was a remarkable woman.

3. The cat clawed its way to the top of the tree.

A dependent clause has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone grammatically. A dependent
clause is dependent because it is a connecting word (because, if, so, which, that, etc.) that links it
to an independent clause. A dependent clause can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Examples:

1. I know that wheat grows in Kansas. (noun)

2. The car which rolled over the cliff was a pink Cadillac. (adjective)

3. He retired early because he had made so much money. (adverb)

Exercise
Underline the subordinate clause in the following sentences:

1. As he was not there, I could not speak to him.

2. I waited for him until he came.

3. We eat so that we may live.

4. I don’t know whether he is innocent.

5. If you eat too much, you will fall ill.

6. I am sure that you are wrong.

7. The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.

8. Tell me where you have put my books.

9. The man who committed the theft last night has been caught.

10. It is difficult to understand why he disturbs his own children.