Clauses and Combining Clauses (Coordination and Subordination)

Once you have the ability to identify subjects and verbs, you can identify clauses, which are fundamental in identifying complete sentences and in correctly combining sentences. Indeed, for our purposes, the only point of identifying subjects and verbs is to be able to identify clauses. This is because clauses are the units of language that writers deal with the most when editing for correct sentence grammar.

Clauses

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a functioning verb. Not all groups of words meet this special qualification. For example, a phrase is a group of words as well, but not all phrases contain subjects and verbs; some do and some don’t. Yet all clauses do, and any unit of words that contains a subject and a verb is a clause. Examples of clauses:

Some clauses can stand alone as complete sentences, but some cannot because they depend on another clause. That means we have two types of clauses:

1. clauses that are independent
2. clauses that are dependent

The first example above can stand alone as a complete sentence: The dog ran. Thus it is an independent clause. Examples of independent clauses:

The second example at the beginning, if the ceremony ends early, cannot stand alone as a sentence even though it has a subject (the ceremony) and a verb (ends). Thus it is a dependent clause. Examples of dependent clauses:

Notice that a dependent clause always has a certain kind of word in front of the subject-and-verb pair. This certain kind of word causes a condition of dependence, forcing the clause to sound incomplete and require another clause. This word is called a subordinating conjunction. The dog ran is independent, but once you add the subordinating conjunction although, the clause becomes dependent. Readers are forced to wonder, “Although the dog ran… Although what?” An independent clause would need to be combined to this dependent clause in order for it to be complete as a sentence.

Combining Clauses

Once you can identify clauses as either independent or dependent, you can combine them according to the following rules:

Rule 1: If a dependent clause comes first and an independent clause comes second, combine them with a comma. The handy notation for this is DEP, IND. Examples:

Combining clauses in this way is called subordination. The type of sentence that does this is called a complex sentence.

Rule 2. If an independent clause comes first and a dependent clause comes second, combine them without adding anything in-between. The handy notation for this is IND DEP. Examples:

Combining clauses in this way is also called subordination. The type of sentence that does this is also called a complex sentence.

Rule 3: If both clauses are independent, combine them using one of these options:

1. semicolon
   • Example: He is fast; he can run a mile in five minutes.
2. colon
   • Example: I have an idea for a new rule: all professors should wear cloaks.
3. comma followed by one of these combining words, also known as coordinating conjunctions (this is the most common option)

• • for
    • Example: I should read that novel, for it will be on the final exam.
  • and
    • Example: I studied for the final exam, and I passed it.
  • nor
    • Example: I didn’t get enough sleep, nor did I eat breakfast.
  • but
    • Example: I studied for the final exam, but I failed it.
  • or
    • Example: I will eat lunch after this, or I might take a nap.
  • yet
    • Example: I think I did well on the exam, yet there is no way to know.
  • so
    • Example: I studied for the final exam, so I passed it.

These are the only coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. No other words can apply to this rule. A common error is to treat a word such as because like a coordinating conjunction, but it is not, so that would be incorrect.

Handy notation for this Rule 3 is as follows:

• IND; IND
• IND: IND
• IND, fanboys IND

Here are further examples of uses of coordinating conjunctions:

Combining sentences in these ways is called coordination. The type of sentence that does this is called a compound sentence.

Relative Clauses

The types of clauses noted above (independent and dependent clauses) are the most important to learn, but they aren’t the only types of clauses. A relative clause is a clause that begins with a relative pronoun, sometimes even with the relative pronoun as its subject. It gives more information about select nouns.

So a relative clause is a clause that begins with one of these relative pronouns.

The rules for including and combining relative clauses are brief and simple. And they are less important than the rules for independent and dependent clauses because fewer readers notice errors with relative clauses, and such errors are less likely to cause confusion. These are still important to get correct; they’re just less important than those above. Here are the rules for relative clauses:

When it is needed to clarify the noun, do not put commas around it.

When it isn’t needed to clarify the noun, put commas around it.

Here are examples of when the relative clause is needed to clarify the noun (relative clause underlined):

Note the lack of commas around the relative clauses since they are needed to clarify which car and which audience member in these contexts.

Here are examples of when the relative clause is not needed to clarify the noun (relative clause underlined):

Note the commas around the relative clauses since they are not needed to clarify which college president and which Statue of Liberty in these contexts.