Understanding Clauses

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What is a clause?

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A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It can be independent (able to stand alone) or dependent (cannot stand alone).

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What is an independent clause?

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An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence. It expresses a complete thought.

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What is a dependent clause?

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A dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It does not express a complete thought.

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What is the function of an adjective clause?

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An adjective clause modifies a noun or pronoun, providing more information about it.

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What is the function of an adverbial clause?

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An adverbial clause modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, indicating time, place, reason, condition, or manner.

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What is a noun clause?

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A noun clause is a dependent clause that acts as a noun in a sentence. It can function as a subject, object, or complement.

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What is a relative pronoun?

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A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause, such as 'who,' 'whom,' 'whose,' 'which,' or 'that.'

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What is a subordinating conjunction?

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A subordinating conjunction is a word that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause, such as 'because,' 'although,' or 'while.'

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What is the difference between essential and nonessential clauses?

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Essential clauses provide necessary information to identify the noun they modify, while nonessential clauses add extra information but can be removed without changing the sentence's meaning.

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What is an example of an essential clause?

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In the sentence 'The book that I borrowed was fascinating,' 'that I borrowed' is an essential clause.