CLAUSES

There are 2 types of clauses:

- Independent clauses
- Dependent clauses
 Independent Clause
• Can stand on its own like a complete
sentence
• Contains a subject, verb and
expresses a complete thought

Example:
The television (s) provides (v)
entertainment to people.
 Dependent Clause
• Cannot stand on its own
• Does not express a complete thought
• Contains a subject and verb
• Formed with a subordinator (sub)

Example:
Because (sub) the television (s)
was invented (v).
 Subordinators
after before that when which
although even though whenever while
though
as, just as how unless where who
as if if until wherever whom
as soon as since what whether whose
because so that
Sentence Types
• A sentence is a group of words that contains at least one subject
and one verb and expresses at least one complete thought.

Example:
UPM is the largest university in Malaysia.
UPM - subject
is - verb
largest university in Malaysia - complete thought

• 3 types of sentences :
– Simple sentence
– Compound sentence
– Complex sentence
 Simple Sentence
• Has subject-verb pair
• Subject - tells - who or what did something
• Verb - tells - the action ( jump, work, think) or auxiliary (is, was,
could, should, do, does)
• Can have several possible formulas. Here are 4 possibilities.
• (subject - red, verb - blue)

• 1. The Star Wars movies were international hits. (SV)

• 2. Young people and adults enjoyed them. (SSV)
• 3. The films entertained and thrilled audiences everywhere. (SVV)
• 4. Luke Skywalker and his friends battled evil and made us laugh
at the same time. (SSVV)
 Compound Sentence
• Two or more independent clauses
joined together:
- with a coordinating conjunction/
coordinator
- with a conjunctive adverb
- with a semicolon
 Compound Sentence with Coordinators

• Combination of two simple sentences joined by a comma and a

coordinator.

• Example:

S V S V
Smoking causes lung cancer, so people should avoid smoking.

coordinator
• There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English

• F - FOR
• A - AND
• N - NOR
• B - BUT
• O - OR
• Y - YET
• S - SO
 Coordinating Conjunction
And joins sentences that are alike.
But joins sentences that are opposite
or show contrast.
So joins sentences when the second
expresses the result of something
described in the first sentence.
Or joins sentences that give choices
or alternatives.
Example
Students should participate in sports,
and they should attend health talks.
They were happy, but they were
poor.
Exposure to the sun can cause skin
diseases, so people need to wear sun
block.
He could choose a big box, or he
could choose a small one.
Yet shows contrast or joins Exercise is good to release
opposites. Use yet when the stress, yet many people do not
second part of the sentence says exercise regularly.
something unexpected.
For is used to introduce a It is not easy to get there, for
reason or cause. you have to hike down a long,
hot trail.

Nor means ‘not this and not The book is not very
that’. Use nor to join two expensive, nor is it very
negative sentences. interesting.
 Compound Sentence with Conjunctive
Adverb
Example:

Indep Clause
Exercising is beneficial for health; therefore, people should
exercise as much as they can.
Indep Clause
Conjuctive adverb

Punctuation note: Put a semicolon before and a comma after

the conjunctive adverb.

 Refer to textbook pg. 179 for more examples.

 Compound Sentence with Semicolon

• Only possible when the two independent clauses are

closely related in meaning

Example:

Indep Clause Indep Clause

Exercising helps in weight loss; it also strengthens the body’s muscles.

 Refer to textbook pg. 181 for more examples.

 Complex Sentence with Subordinators

• Combination of two simple sentences joined by a subordinator.

• Example :

Anna left the party early because she was tired.

SS SUB SS
James took many pictures while he was travelling abroad.
SS SUB SS
 Subordinators
after before that when which
although even though whenever while
though
as, just as how unless where who
as if if until wherever whom
as soon as since what whether whose
because so that
Examples of common subordinators.

TIME SUBORDINATORS
after, as, before,since, until, He goes to school after he
when, whenever, as soon as finishes work

REASON SUBORDINATORS Sam excels at sports because he

because, since, as trains hard.

PLACE SUBORDINATORS I can never remember where I

where, wherever put my house keys.
Identify the following sentences as simple, compound or complex
sentence.
 
1. Adriana managed to get straight A’s in her SPM, so her
parents gifted her with a car.
 
2. The management and staff were pleased to announce the results
of the lucky draw.
 
3. The children stared at the artichokes on their plates as they did
not know how to eat the strange vegetable.
 
4. Even though I was tired, I stayed up to watch the horror movie.
 
5. Kevin spent his two weeks in the Philippines snorkelling in the
Marine Park, eating food cooked with fresh coconuts, teaching
his cousins basic English and trying to learn a little Tagalog.