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Home , Dependent clause

Beyond the parts of speech……

In a nutshell:

• - Verbals Participles • Independent Subordinate Noun Adjective adverb • Kinds of sentences Simple Compound Complex Compound-complex

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Verbals and verbal phrases

1 A VERBAL is a word that is formed from a verb and that acts as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Gerunds and phrases

GERUND is a verbal that ends in –ing and acts as a noun. Like nouns, gerunds may be subjects, predicate nouns, direct objects, indirect objects, and object of the preposition. Inventing can be dangerous.

A GERUND consists of a gerund plus its modifiers and complements. Like a gerund, a gerund phrase functions as a noun. Writing Frankenstein must have given Mary Shelley good bumps.

USING GERUND PHRASES Calling the monster Frankenstein is a mistake. Predicate noun Frankenstein’s error was creating the monster. Direct object I like watching horror movies. Object of the preposition The monster was responsible for killing three people.

Literary model

My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct…….Edgar Allen Poe, “The Tell Tale Heart”

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Participles and participial phrases

A PARTICIPLE is a verb form that acts as an adjective. It modifies a noun or pronoun.

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The exhausted campers found a crumbling schoolhouse.

A PARTICIPIAL PHRASE consists of a participle plus its modifiers and complements. The entire phrase modifies a noun or a pronoun.

The spied a shape lurking in the dark shadows. Frightened by the sight, they stopped cold.

Using words that end in –ing

Example Clue

Participle What’s that scampering sound? Could be replaced by an adjective Gerund It’s the scampering of rodents. Could be replaced by a noun Verb Mice are scampering beneath the floorboard. Always preceded by a helping verb

Literary Model

He was thin, nondescript, with a cap pulled down over his eyes….I was just slowing down for one of the tunnels – when I saw him – standing under an arc light by the side of the road. I could see him quite distinctly. The bag, the cap, even the spots of fresh rain splattered over his shoulder. -Lucille Fletcher, The Hitchhiker

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Infinitives and phrases

An INFINITIVE is a verb form that usually begins with the word –to and acts as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

3 Mars is a place some people want to visit.

An INFINITIVE PHRASE is an infinitive plus its modifiers and complements. The entire phrase functions as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

To believe in life on Mars was common in the 1930s. (acts as a noun)

Martians might use flying saucers to invade Earth. (acts as an adverb)

I took time to read an old science fiction book. (acts as an adjective)

Using Infinitive Phrases

Nouns To colonize Mars is a real possibility. (subject)

My dream is to live on Mars. (predicate noun)

Would you like to go there? (direct object)

Adverb Science fiction writers wrote about little green Martians to scare readers.

Adjective Even some scientists believed Mars to be inhabited.

Literary Model “I’d like to go to India myself,” said the old man, “just to look around a bit, you know.” “Better where you are,” said the sergeant-major, shaking his head. “I should like to see those old temples and fakirs and jugglers,” said the old man. -W.W. Jacobs, “The Monkey’s Paw”

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Sentence structure

It all begins with the !

A CLAUSE is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.

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Kate noted the day’s events in her journal. (subject) (verb)

An expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a .

Kate noted the day’s events in her journal.

A DEPENDENT (SUBORDINATE) CLAUSE does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence. Most dependent clauses are introduced by words like although, before, because, so that, when, while, and that. before she went to bed.

A dependent clause can be joined to an independent clause to add to the complete thought that the independent clause expresses.

Kate noted the day’s events in her journal before she went to bed. Some writers keep journals so that they can remember details about events.

Why are clauses important in writing? The kinds and numbers of clauses used in a sentence determine what kind of sentence has been written. It is important to use a variety of clauses and a variety of sentences when writing.

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An adjective CLAUSE is a subordinate clause used as an adjective which modifies a noun or a pronoun. It tells what kind, which one, how many, or how much. An adjective clause begins with a : who whom whose that which

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Devon Kim is a climber who likes challenges. His hardest climb, which took him three days, is Mount Whitney.

NOTEWORTHY: Use to set off adjective clauses when the information is NOT necessary to the understanding of the sentence.

An Adverb clause is a subordinate clause used as an adverb. It modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. An adverb clause tells where, when, how, why, to what extent, or under what conditions. It is introduced by a subordinate :

after as though so that whenever although because than where as before though wherever as if even though unless while as long as if until as soon as since when

They checked their gear before they started the climb. They were cautious because ice made the trails slippery. Devon worries about the weather more than Andy does. When Devon started his climb, the weather was good.

NOTEWORTHY: An adverb clause should be followed by a when it comes before an independent clause. When an adverb clause comes after an independent clause, a comma is not needed.

Because the weather was bad, Devon canceled the climb. Devon canceled the climb because the weather was bad.

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A NOUN CLAUSE is a subordinate clause used as a noun. Like a noun, a noun clause can serve as a subject, a direct object, an indirect object, an object of the preposition, or a predicate noun.

6 subject That the dedicated actor practiced her role every day surprised no one. direct The director determined who would design the set. object indirect The set designer gave whoever helped a bonus. object predicate A love of theatre is what motivates her. noun object of a She takes great satisfaction in whatever they perform. preposition

Words that introduce noun clauses:

that how when where whether why what whatever who whom whoever whomever which whichever

NOTEWORTHY: If you can substitute the word something or someone for a clause in a sentence, it is a noun clause. The director determined who would design the set. The director determined someone.

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Kinds of sentences

1. Simple sentences contain one independent clause only. Milika sings. Ben competes at chess every day after school.

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2. compound sentences contain two or more independent clauses.

Malika sings every day, and she practices with the choir.

Noteworthy: Independent clauses can be joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or by a semicolon.

The choir rehearsed late on Tuesday, and the director praised their hard work. The choir rehearsed late on Tuesday; the director praised their hard work.

Coordinating conjunctions which join independent clauses: and or nor for but yet so

3. Complex sentences contain one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses. ______(Mr. Hernandez, (who is a professional story teller), performs at many subordinate clause independent clause different festivals.) ______(When Mr. Hernandez performs), (he enchants the audience). Subordinate clause independent clause

______

(Young people love the way he tells stories) (because he changes his independent clause subordinate clause voice and wears costumes).

4. compound-complex sentences contain two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses.

(While she was fishing), (Amy saw many deer), and (she tried not to

8 subordinate clause independent clause independent clause disturb them).

(Amy unhooked the salmon from the line), and (she threw it back into the independent clause independent clause stream) (so that it could live). subordinate clause

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