Welcome! In this lesson, you shall learn about the structure of different types of clause. Clause is the next below sentence in the Hallidayan grammatical structure of units. Sentence is at the peak while clause follows. The structure of a clause is SPCA where the S is subject; P is predicate; the C is complement while A is adjunct. As opposed the group/phrase, clause contains a finite verb; it's complete in sense. In fact, a main clause is a simple sentence. To understand this lesson properly, you may read about the finite and infinite verbs here. The difference between a phrase and a clause is in the unavailability/availability of meaning sense and absence/presence of a finite verb. Compare:
- Having completed my assignment, and
- When I left for school.
Forms of clause
Clause is sub-sectioned into two forms: main/independent and subordinate/dependent clauses. Their characteristics justify their names. While the main can stand on its own and make a complete sense, the other depends solely on the independent to obtain completeness of sense. She left for market after I had arrived. This sentence contains both independent and dependent clauses.
Main: She left for market
Subordinate: after I had arrived.
If one observes the two statements, one cannot help realizing that the first one is complete while the second is incomplete. Mind you, each contains a finite verb. The subordinate therefore depends on the main to make a complete sense but the first one can simply stand on its own. By this, one sees that the main clause is a simple sentence. The subordinate clause, also, is divided into few types: noun clause, relative clause and adverbial clause. The relative is naturally adjectival.
Noun clause
The noun clause, like the noun phrase, is headed by a noun/pronoun. The noun clause is usually introduced by what, why and how, not in the sense of interrogative but in the form of standing in for a particular nominal entity. Examples:
- I still don't understand what made her choose me.
- How the clown did the skit is so marvelous.
- Nobody knew why she came here.
Observantly, the use of what, how and why suggests references to particular abstract nouns. While the first example refers to CHOICE, the second one talks about a particular SKILL. In the third example is a particular REASON synchronized. All these, if considered by their names, are nouns. Therefore, the underlined expressions are noun/nominal clauses.
Adverbial clause
Just as the normal roles of adverb, the adverbial clause also signifies ideas like: manner, place, time, concession, etc. Adverbial clauses, mostly, are introduced by certain words like: where, when, although, etc. Examples:
- Your creditor came while you were away.
- When I was around, you were no where to be found
- Although she likes her mother yet she leaves her
- She saw me where I stood checking the letter.
Checking through the nature of the examples cited above, one sees that they are adverbial. The first and second examples suggest time; the third one is concession while the last shows place. All these features in English are adverbial. The last type of clause is the relative and here I have brought it to you.
Relative clause
Relative clause is the same as adjectival clause but you will mostly find adjectival phrase/relative clause. Largely, adjectival and relative have respectively been used for phrase and clause. The relative clause usually qualifies a noun. It is mostly found introduced with such words as: who, whom, that, which whose, etc. Here are few examples:
- That is the landlord whose house was demolished
- His son who lives in London bought him a car