Clauses
An independent clause is a complete sentence.
- Mike rides his bike every morning.
The above independent clause has a subject (Mike) and a verb (rides) and completes a thought.
A dependent clause is not a complete sentence.
- which Mike rides every morning
This dependent clause has a subject (Mike) and a verb (rides), but it does not finish the sentence.
We must add an independent clause to complete the thought.
Look at this example:
- The bike, which Mike rides every morning, is blue.
Here we added a dependent (adjective) clause to the independent clause (The bike...is blue).
A noun clause acts like a noun in a sentence:
- What I said shouldn't bother you.
Note: a noun clause can usually be replaced by one noun or pronoun and the sentence will still make sense.
For example:
- It shouldn't bother you.
An adjective clause acts like an adjective in a sentence:
- I sent my aunt, who lives in New York, a gift. (Aunt is the subject of the clause, so we use "who.")
- Are you the man whom I met at the party last year? (I is the subject of the clause, so we use "whom" or delete.)
- I am the man (whom) you met at the party last year.
An adverb clause acts like an adverb in a sentence:
- Before you leave the office, I'd like to talk with you.
- She called Jack because she was worried about him.