Finite Clauses

Week 7
21 – 25 March 2022
Finite Clauses
• Independent or dependent
• Contains subject
• Contains finite verbs (person / number / tense)
Examples
• James owns a car. (Independent finite clause)
• I visited the mall that Sarah built. (two dependent finite clause)
Finite Clauses
• Main / Independent Clauses
• Subordinate / Dependent Clauses
• Noun Clauses
• Adverb Clauses
• Relative Clauses
Main / Independent Clauses
Independent clauses…
• express a single, complete thought.
• have one subject and one verb.
• are a complete sentence.
• Independent clauses are referred to as simple sentences.
Example:
• The girl forgot her homework.
Main / Independent Clauses
• All independent clauses will be a complete thought.
• Independent clauses are also main clauses.

Subject + Verb = Complete Thought

Main / Independent Clauses
More examples:
• She was happy. Independent clauses do not have to be
• He drew a snowflake. long to be complete. This sentence is
just two words long. Since it contains a
• My cat likes to play.
subject and a verb and is a complete
• She napped peacefully. thought, it is an independent clause and
• She napped. a complete simple subject!
Main / Independent Clauses

Identify the subject and verb in the independent clause below.

• Four small kittens looked around the room for their mother.
Main / Independent Clauses

Identify the subject and verb in the independent clause below.

• Four small kittens (subject) looked (verb) around the room for their
mother.
Main / Independent Clauses

Identify the subject and verb in the independent clause below.

• The school’s tennis team won its match

Main / Independent Clauses

Identify the subject and verb in the independent clause below.

• The school’s tennis team (subject) won (verb) its match.

Main / Independent Clauses

Identify the subject and verb in the independent clause below.

• The racecar in first place sped around the track quickly.

Main / Independent Clauses

Identify the subject and verb in the independent clause below.

• The racecar (subject) in first place sped (verb) around the track
quickly.
Why should we know main/independent
clause?
• Being able to identify subjects and verbs in clauses will help you
determine if a sentence is a simple sentence, a run-on sentence, or a
fragment.
• Being able to distinguish between the three will help you improve
your writing.
Independent Clause vs. Not
Independent Clause
• We held the door.
• This is an independent clause
(simple sentence) because it
contains a subject, verb, and
complete thought.
• She ate all of her dinner.
• This is an independent clause.
Fragment
• While we held the door.
• What happened while we held the
door? This isn’t a complete
thought, so it is a fragment. It is
also a dependent clause.
• After eating all of her dinner.
• What happened after this? Once
again, this is a fragment and a
dependent clause.
Independent Clause vs. Not
Independent Clause
• She likes football.
• This is an independent clause
(simple sentence) because it
contains a subject, verb, and
complete thought.
• We went home.
• This is an independent clause
because it has a subject and a
verb. It is a complete thought.
Run-on Sentence
• She likes football it is her
favorite.
• This is a run-on sentence because
it contains two subjects and two
verbs. It does not have the proper
punctuation.
• We went home we were tired.
• This run-on sentence has two
complete thoughts.
Subordinate / Dependent Clauses
• Like independent clauses, dependent clauses also contain a subject
and a verb.
• However, dependent clauses DO NOT express a complete thought.
• When standing alone, dependent clauses are sentence fragments.
• Dependent clauses =/= complete sentences.
Subordinate / Dependent Clauses
• Dependent clauses are usually indicated by a marker word.

• Example:
These dependent
• While we held the door…
• What happened while we held the door? clauses are not
• After eating dinner… complete thoughts.
• What happened after dinner?
Subordinate / Dependent Clauses
• The marker word is usually added to the beginning of an independent
clause.
• This turns it into a dependent clause.
• Example:
• We ate dinner. (independent clause)
• Once we ate dinner… (dependent clause)
marker word
Subordinate / Dependent Clauses
These are common marker words.

after as if even since until

although because even though though when

as before if unless while

Subordinate / Dependent Clauses
• In your notes, add a marker word to the independent clauses below
to turn them into dependent clauses.

• We watched the movie.

• She helped her sister.
• The baby laughed at the puppet.
• Carolyn saw a hippo at the zoo.
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

She took the cat outside.

Independent
Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

We walked.

Independent
Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

After walking next to the river.

Dependent Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

Before going to sleep.

Dependent Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

My teacher helped me with my work.

Independent
Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

While helping me with my work.

Dependent Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

Amy drove the car.

Independent
Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

Jorge wanted to get some food.

Independent
Clause!
Try this…
Identify if the group of words below is an independent or dependent
clause.

After eating lunch.

Dependent Clause!
Write With Clauses
• Using a variety of clauses in your writing will help improve your style.
• Practice varying sentence structures in your writing by adding
dependent clauses to independent clauses.
Write With Clauses
• When you combine a dependent clause with an independent clause,
you get a
complex sentence!
Dependent Clause + Comma +
Independent Clause = Complex
Sentence
Task 1
• Give 5 examples of complex sentences and identify the dependent
clause and independent clause of each sentence.
Review
• Clauses have a subject and a verb.
• Independent clauses are simple sentence that complete a single
thought.
• Dependent clauses do not complete a thought.
• Dependent clauses begin with a marker word.
Noun Clause
• Is a dependent clause and cannot stand alone as a sentence (Betty
Schrampfer Azar, 1993:346)
• In a noun clause, the full subject and predicate are retained. The
noun clause fills the same position and serves the same function as
noun. (Frank, 1972:283)
• So, it can be concluded that noun clause is a dependent clause that
has a function as a subject, object, or complement.
Noun Clauses as Subjects
• Whoever leaves last should turn off the lights
- In this example, the sentence is about ‘whoever leaves last’.
‘Whoever leaves last’, is also the person performing the action of
turning off the lights. Therefore, the noun clause is the subject of the
sentence
• That people need water to survive
- Here, the sentence is about the fact ‘that people need to survive’, and
so the noun clause works as the subject
Noun Clauses as Objects
Objects are words that ‘receive’ another part of a sentence. There are
three types of objects.
• Direct objects – receive the action of the verb.
• Indirect objects – receive direct objects.
• Objects of prepositions – receive prepositions.
Example 1
• My dog will eat whatever food I give him.
- Here, the noun clause receives the action of the verb ‘eat’ so it is a
direct object. It answers the question, “eat what?”

Example 2
• The judges will award whichever painting they like the most the blue
ribbon
- Here, the noun clause is receiving the direct object ‘blue ribbon’. ‘Blue
ribbon’ is the direct object because it is receiving the verb ‘award’
 Noun Cluses as Compliments
• A compliment re-states or gives more information about a noun. It always
follows a state-of-being verb (is, are, am, will be, was, were).

Example 1
• The winner will be whoever gets the most votes.
- The noun clause here is a complement because it gives more information
about ‘winner’.

Example 2
• My hope is that everyone here becomes friends.
- Here, the noun clause is a complement because it tells more about ‘hope’
That-clause as a noun clause
• A that-clause is an example of a noun clause. It can be the subject or
the object of a verb.
• I believe that he is innocent.
• Here the that-clause ‘that he is innocent’ is the object of the word
believe.
• She said that she can speak three languages. (Object – that she can
speak three languages)
• The that-clause can also act as the subject of the verb.
• That she could forget me so quickly was rather a shock.
• Here the that-clause ‘that she could forget me so quickly’ acts as the
subject of the verb was.
• That she delivered a marvelous performance pleased her parents. (
Subject – that she delivered a marvelous performance)
• Instead of ‘that’ we can also use the expressions ‘the fact that’, ‘the
belief that’, ‘the idea that’, and ‘the evidence that’
• The fact that she did not recognise me was rather a shock.
• The fact that he did not understand English made it difficult for him
to get a job.
• The idea that the teacher should know everything is unacceptable.
Adverb Clauses
• An adverb clause is a dependent clause that modifies a verb,
adjective, or another adverb.
• It usually modifies the verb.
Recognsing adverb clauses
• Because English teachers lead boring lives and have nothing better to
do, they have dreamed up an impressive, multi-syllabic term that no
one can remember, to label words that introduce adverb clauses.
• They are called subordinate conjunctions
• This is the fancy term for ‘signal words’ that begin the clause.
Common subordinate conjunctions
• After • Than
• Before • In order that
• Until • If
• While • Unless
• Because • Whether
• Since • Though
• As • Although
• So that • Even though
• where • when
Examples:
• Even though English teachers are boring, they still need love and
respect.
- The adverb clause is Even though. Note that it is a group of related
words with a subject and verb. The subordinating conjunction ‘even
though’ is part of the clause.
- The subordinate conjunction keeps the clause from expressing a
complete thought.
Examples
• The world would be a better place if more people respected English
teachers.
• ’ if more people respected English teachers.’ is the adverb clause.
• The subordinate conjunction ‘if’, is part of the clause
Examples
• If I were you, I would listen to my English teacher because I might
learn something of life altering significance.
• This sentence has two adverb clauses.
• Note that in every instance, the subordinate conjunction begins the
clause.
Tricky examples
• My English teacher is as wonderful as my math teacher.
• Look at the bolded clause. It does not look like a clause does it? There
isn’t any verb that you can see. The verb is implied. It is ‘is’.
Let’s try
• Independent clauses are as important as quadratic equations and
more important than the Phytagorean theorem.
• Let’s insert the implied verbs:
• Independent clauses are as important as quadratic equations (are)
and more important than the Phytagorean theorem (is)
Types of adverb clauses
• There are many types of adverb clauses. Here are some examples of
the most common types.
• Place
• Time
• Cause
• Purpose
• Concession
• Condition
Types of adverb clauses
1. Place
• Answers the question where?
• Wherever there are computers, there is Microsoft software.
2. Time
• Answer the question when?
• After the fruit is harvested, it is sold at the market.
3. Cause
• Why? (what caused this?)
• I didn’t call her because I’m shy.
4. Purpose
• Why? (what was the reason for doing this?)
• She took a computer course so that she could get a better job

5. Concession
• Why is this unexpected?
• Although Jay has a Master’s degree, he works as a store clerk.

6. Condition
• Under what condition?
• If you save your money, you will be able to go to college.
Practice: Underline the adverb clauses in the
following sentences

• You clean the bathroom while I clean the carpet.

• Bring the toys before they get destroyed.
• I stood on the box so that I could see the top of the shelf.
• Your face becomes red when you are angry.
Relative Clauses
• Give us the necessary information to know which person or thing is
referred to. E.g. – I did the work (that/which) he asked me to do.
• In this type of clause there is no comma.
• Often used in definitions
• Who is used for people
• That or which can be used in these clauses.
• But the pronoun can be omitted if it is an object. E.g. – The boy
(who/whom) we met yesterday is Akmal’s nephew.
Examples
• We know a lot of people who live in London.
• The house where we live is very old.
• Peter works for a company that/which makes furniture.
• A seaman is someone who works on a ship.
• Do you know the girl who is talking to him?
Non-defining Clauses
• Give us additional, extra information about the person or thing, but
do not define it.
• We use commas.
• ‘that’ can’t be used.
• Object pronoun must be used and can’t be left out.
• Example – We stayed at the Park Hotel, which is the best hotel in the
town.
More Examples
• Jim, who/whom we met yesterday is Akmal’s nephew.
• Do you know the girl, who is talking to Tom?
• My brother Jim, who is a doctor, is getting married next month.
• Anne, who lives next door to Tina, is rather strange.
• The Grand Canyon, which is over 200 miles long, is one of the
wonders of the world.
Tutorial Task 1
• Give 5 examples of :
1. Main/independent clause
2. Subordinate/dependent clause
3. Noun clause
4. Adverb clause
5. Relative clause
Tutorial Task 2
• Get an article of about 350 words, highlight the example(s) of:
1. Main/independent clause
2. Subordinate/dependent clause
3. Noun clause
4. Adverb clause
5. Relative clause