Chapter 16
Identifying Clauses and Their Effects
IN THIS CHAPTER
Identifying independent and subordinate clauses
Untangling complicated sentences
Combining clauses to emphasize important ideas
Clauses are everywhere, and none of them wear red suits and travel with reindeer and a sled. A clause is a basic unit of expression, the fundamental structure that carries meaning in a sentence. Unless you rely on emoticons, you can’t write without clauses. This chapter deals with clauses and their effect on a sentence: what makes sense alone, what needs a little extra help to express meaning, and how various types of clauses and their placement affect the meaning you convey. By the time you’ve completed this chapter, you’ll be an expert in every type of clause.
Locating Clauses
Clauses are easy to find. Look for a matching subject-verb pair, and you have a clause. When I say “matching,” I mean that the pair makes sense together in Standard English. Bill is watching makes a pair (Bill = subject, is watching = verb). Bill watching isn’t a proper pair. Why? The verb is incomplete. To sum up: Where a matching subject-verb pair appears, so does a clause. Where one doesn’t appear, no clause exists. (For more on matching subject-verb pairs, turn to Chapter 3.)
Occasionally a subject or a verb is understood to be part of the sentence but isn’t actually present. For example:
- Go home. (The understood subject of the verb go is you.)
- While sleeping, I dreamed I was an astronaut. (I is the understood subject, was is an understood part of the verb sleeping.)
Not every clause is a complete sentence. Check Chapter 3 for more information on complete sentences.
Before you can do anything with clauses, you have to know what they look like. Examine the underlined words. Some are clauses and some aren’t. Identify the clauses with the letter “C.”
Q. Oh boy. Ella agreed to attend her fifteenth high-school reunion! She resolved to get a promotion, a new wardrobe, and at least one new impressive hobby before the class dinner.
A. Ella agreed to attend her fifteenth high-school reunion! You've got a subject-verb pair here (Ella agreed), so this one is a clause. The first underlined section (Oh boy) has neither a subject nor a verb. To get a promotion has no subject, and strictly speaking, the infinitive to get isn't a verb in this sentence. Before the class dinner lacks a subject verb pair. Dinner is a noun, and class is a description of the noun (an adjective, to be precise).
1 Was the reunion scheduled for Labor Day weekend? Seriously? Meeting on a holiday!
2 Last week, Ella, who is very interested in gossip, decided to attend.
3 Coming from the other coast, Ella needs a hotel, preferably one with a pool.
4 If she were honest, Ella would admit that she's nervous.
5 To calm her nerves, Ella has begun yoga lessons.
6 Her downward-facing-reunion posture is her best move, which she practices for an hour a day.
7 Ella has also hired a dance instructor, who promises to make Ella look cool or, at a minimum, less nerdy.
8 Having studied ballet, Ella believes that today's dance moves will be easy to learn.
9 Wrong! Ella has two left feet, as her ballet teacher remarked.
10 To make a good impression on her former classmates, Ella will do almost anything, but she draws the line at dieting. More to love, she says.
Sorting Independent and Subordinate Clauses
You can sort clauses into two categories: independent (it can stand on its own, making sense and forming a complete sentence) and subordinate (a clause that must rely on an independent clause in order to form a complete thought). Subordinate clauses are sometimes referred to as dependent clauses. Either term is correct. Check out these examples:
- Betsy checked her email. (independent clause)
- After she had read every tweet (subordinate clause)
Did you notice that the independent clause makes sense all by itself? It’s a sentence. The subordinate clause just hangs there. A subordinate clause may give you more information about a noun or a verb, acting as a description. A subordinate clause may also play the role of a noun in the sentence, acting as a subject or object. No matter what job they do, subordinate clauses never sound complete. Only when you put a subordinate clause with an independent clause do you have a complete sentence:
After she had read every tweet, Betsy checked her email.
Does it matter whether a clause is independent or subordinate? Yes! Standardized tests often ask whether a sentence is complete or not, and at lease one independent clause must be present to fulfill this requirement. Pronoun case and punctuation also change at times depending upon the type of clause you’re writing, and these topics are also popular with test writers. (For more information about case, check Chapter 6. To learn more about punctuation, see Chapter 11.) Also important — and popular with testers — is the proper use of subordinate clauses to tuck information into a sentence. For more on this topic, check out the next section, “Making Clauses Work Together.”
Independent or subordinate? Read the underlined words and label each “I” for independent or “S” for subordinate.
Q. Betsy stares at her phone whenever she has a free moment.
A. Subordinate. The underlined words don't form a complete thought, so this clause is subordinate. In case you're wondering, clauses that give information about time are often subordinate. This one explain when Betsy stares.
11 The pocket for Betsy's phone has never been used because Betsy never puts her phone away.
12 The last time that Betsy left the house without her phone was traumatic for her.
13 Sal, who is Betsy's best friend, told her that she must face her phone addiction.
14 Betsy strongly denies having phone problems, but Sal is not convinced.
15 While Betsy was looking at her phone, Sal removed Betsy's shoes.
16 When Betsy stood up, she finally noticed that her feet were bare.
17 Furious, Betsy grabbed Sal's phone, which he had left on the table.
18 Will Betsy and Sal's fight be resolved, or will the phone feud continue?
Making Clauses Work Together
In grammar, the term subordinate or dependent doesn’t refer to the poor slob who has to make coffee for the boss. Instead, this type of clause is the part of the sentence that, while still containing a subject and a verb, occupies a position of lesser importance in relation to the rest of the sentence. Subordinate clauses may fall at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence. Here are some examples, with the subordinate clause in italics:
- The box, which Jack was told never to open, practically screamed, “Look inside!”
- After he had pried up the lid, Jack ran screaming down the hall.
- Jack is planning to repair whatever was damaged.
As you see, a subordinate clause embeds one idea in another, making your writing less choppy by eliminating a series of short sentences.
Generally, less important ideas belong in the subordinate clause, unless you’re trying to be funny or to illuminate character by emphasizing something unimportant. Take a look at these two sentences:
- George, who was convicted of treason and is facing the death penalty, giggles a lot.
- George, who giggles a lot, was convicted of treason and is facing the death penalty.
I think everyone agrees that the conviction and punishment are more important than George’s laughter. In the first example sentence, those ideas appear in a subordinate clause. Furthermore, the subordinate clause is surrounded by commas — punctuation that implies the information isn’t necessary. (Chapter 11 explains this point.) The second example makes more sense because the crucial information appears in the independent clause. You can do without the giggling and still grasp the main idea.
Take a shot at using subordinate clauses to insert ideas. First you see two separate sentences and then three combinations. Which choices use subordinate clauses to combine ideas properly? Consider punctuation and grammar, as well as the placement of important ideas.
Q. Nadia’s boss held a press conference. The boss issued a statement about “the incident.”
- Nadia's boss held a press conference, where he apologized for “the incident.”
- Nadia's boss, who held a press conference, apologized for “the incident.”
- Nadia's boss held a press conference, with “the incident” being apologized for.
A. I, II. Both I and II contain all the information of the original. In option I, where he issued a statement about “the incident” is a subordinate clause. In option II, who held a press conference is a subordinate clause. Both choices work in different circumstances. Option I emphasizes the press conference. You’d write this way if the boss’s willingness to face the press is the main idea. Option II emphasizes the apology, not where it was issued. Option III doesn’t have a subordinate clause, just a rather clumsy prepositional phrase, with “the incident” being apologized for.
19 Joseph Schmo is a prize-winning reporter. He discovered the scheme to hack every social media account in the Midwest.
- Joe Schmo, who is a prize-winning reporter, discovered the scheme to hack every social media account in the Midwest.
- Joe Schmo, who discovered the scheme to hack every social media account in the Midwest, is a prize-winning reporter.
- Joe Schmo discovered the scheme to hack every social media account in the Midwest, and he is a prize-winning reporter.
20 The boss asked Joe to sit down and be quiet. Joe refused. He was still looking for information about “the incident.”
- Joe is still looking for information about “the incident,” and he refused the boss, who asked him to sit down and be quiet.
- Joe refused the boss, asking him to sit down and be quiet, because he is still looking for information about “the incident.”
- Although the boss asked Joe to sit down and be quiet, Joe refused, as he is still looking for information about “the incident.”
21 The CIA became interested in the case. The agency sent several agents to investigate.
- The CIA, being interested, sent several agents to investigate the case.
- The CIA, which became interested in the case, sent several agents to investigate.
- Sending several agents, the CIA became interested and investigated.
22 Nadia didn’t want to talk to the agents. Her boss said that her job was in jeopardy.
- Nadia, who didn't want to talk to the agents, her job was in jeopardy the boss said.
- Nadia didn't want to talk to the agents because her boss said her job was in jeopardy.
- Because her boss said her job was in jeopardy, Nadia didn't want to talk to the agents.
23 Nadia bought a bus ticket. She slipped out of the office.
- Nadia bought a bus ticket, then she slipped out of the office.
- Because Nadia slipped out of the office, she bought a bus ticket.
- When she slipped out of the office, Nadia bought a bus ticket.
24 The CIA may track her down. They will deal with her harshly.
- If the CIA tracks her down, they will deal with her harshly.
- When the CIA will deal with her harshly, they will track her down.
- That the CIA will track her down and that they will deal with her harshly.
25 Nadia is away. The boss is trying to manage the news media.
- Although Nadia is away, the boss is trying to manage the news media.
- While Nadia is away, the boss is trying to manage the news media.
- The boss is trying to manage the news media while Nadia is away.
26 Nadia has offered her story to an independent film company. The film company is tentatively interested.
- Nadia has offered her story to an independent film company, which is tentatively interested.
- An independent film company, which is tentatively interested, was offered Nadia's story by her.
- Tentatively interested, Nadia offered her story to an independent film company.
27 She wrote a complete account of “the incident.” Nadia put her manuscript in a box.
- After she wrote a complete account of “the incident,” Nadia put her manuscript in a box.
- Nadia put her manuscript in a box after she wrote a complete account of “the incident.”
- She wrote a complete account of “the incident,” Nadia put it in a box.
28 The box has been placed in a bank vault. The vault has a titanium door.
- A bank vault with a titanium door has the box, which was placed in it.
- The box, which has been placed in a bank vault that has a titanium door.
- The box has been placed in a bank vault that has a titanium door.
29 Nadia’s closest friends know the location of the box. Those people are in danger.
- Nadia's closest friends, who know the location of the box, are in danger.
- That Nadia's closest friends know the location of the box puts them in danger.
- Nadia's closest friends, who are in danger, know the location of the box.
30 The film will come out next summer. Then the whole world will know about “the incident.”
- When the film comes out next summer, the whole world will know about “the incident.”
- Because the film comes out next summer, the whole world will know about “the incident.”
- The film will come out next summer, when the whole world will know about “the incident.”
Answers to Clause Problems
Do clauses cause you problems? Check your answers to find out how well you understand clause-and-effect.
1 Was the reunion scheduled for Labor Day weekend? This is a clause because it has a matching subject-verb pair, reunion was scheduled.
To understand the structure of a question, try turning it into a statement. The original becomes “The reunion was scheduled for Labor Day weekend.” Now you can more easily pick out the subject-verb pair and see that you have a clause. The other underlined material lacks this essential pair.
2 who is very interested in gossip. The subject is who, which matches the verb is. Last week has neither a subject nor a verb. To attend is an infinitive, not a verb in the sentence, and has no subject.
3 Ella needs a hotel. The subject-verb pair is Ella needs. They match, so this is a clause. Did I catch you with Coming from the other coast? This one has no subject, either stated or implied, so it's not a clause.
4 If she were honest, that she's nervous. This sentence actually has three clauses, but Ella would admit isn't underlined. Are you wondering where the verb is in the second answer? She's is short for she is.
5 Ella has begun yoga lessons. The subject-verb pair is Ella has begun. The introductory statement in this sentence, to calm her nerves, isn't a clause because to calm is an infinitive, not a verb, and there's no subject.
6 which she practices for an hour a day. Yup, this one has the pair (she practices), so this one's the clause.
7 Ella has also hired a dance instructor. The pair here is Ella has hired. The second underlined potion lacks a subject-verb pair.
8 that today's dance moves will be easy to learn. Did you find the pair? It's moves (subject) and will be (verb). The other underlined words have no subject-verb pair.
9 Ella has two left feet, as her ballet teacher remarked. The pairs are Ella has and teacher remarked.
10 Ella will do almost anything, she draws the line at dieting, she says. Three subject-verb pairs (Ella will do, she draws, she says = three clauses). Did you select the first underlined portion? The infinitive doesn't function as a verb, and it has no subject. Hence, it's not a clause.
11 Independent. If you chop off the rest of the sentence, you still have a complete thought. The reason Betsy has an untouched pocket is interesting, but it doesn’t have to appear in that sentence in order for the underlined words to make sense.
12 Subordinate. When you start a clause with that, it’s often subordinate, which is the case here. Say the underlined words. They’re incomplete without the support of the rest of the sentence.
13 Subordinate. The underlined words would form an independent clause if they were asking a question, but they aren’t. They’re making a statement — an incomplete one. Therefore, you’re looking at a subordinate clause.
14 Independent. Read the underlined words aloud. Do you hear the complete thought? This is an independent clause.
15 Subordinate. You have a time statement beginning with while, but that statement, all by itself, leaves you wondering. No doubt about it: This is a subordinate clause.
16 Independent. The underlined words make sense, so you have an independent clause.
17 Subordinate. The word which, when it isn’t part of a question, generally signals a subordinate clause.
18 Independent. This one is a little tricky. You have only one question mark, but bring out your reading comprehension skills. Do you see that the sentence asks two separate questions? Question one is Will Betsy and Sal’s fight be resolved? Question two is will the phone feud continue? Both parts of the sentence are independent clauses.
19 I. The subordinate clause in option I lies between the commas. Unless you’re defending the integrity and competence of the reporter, this is where the information about prize-winning belongs. Option III has no subordinate clause.
20 III. This sentence relies on two subordinate clauses to convey information that’s less important than the main idea, which is that Joe refused. The clauses beginning with Although and as he was are subordinate.
21 II. The pronoun which stands in for the CIA and introduces relatively unimportant information.
22 II, III. Both II and III create a cause-and-effect sentence structure with the subordinate clause beginning with because. The location of the subordinate clause doesn’t matter, just the fact that it’s subordinate.
23 III. Your reading comprehension skills should tell you that option III makes sense, and options I and II don’t. Option I is also a grammatical felony — a run-on sentence.
24 I. Option I links the ideas in a logical way, beginning with the subordinate clause If the CIA tracks her down. Option II includes a subordinate clause, When the CIA will deal with her harshly, but the full statement doesn’t quite make sense. Option III contains two subordinate clauses but no independent clause. Penalty box!
25 II, III. The subordinate clause beginning with while makes more sense than although. Because placement at the beginning and the end of the sentence yields the same meaning, both II and III are fine.
26 I. Option I places the subordinate clause, which is tentatively interested, in the correct spot. Option II is awkward, changing the verb to was offered. Option III says that Nadia is tentatively interested — not the meaning you want.
27 I, II. The subordinate clause beginning with after works fine at the beginning or the end of the sentence. Did you notice that a comma appears in option I but not in II? Traditionally, an introductory subordinate clause is set off from the independent clause with a comma, unless the clause functions as the subject of the sentence. If the same clause shows up at the end of the sentence, it’s not usually separated with a comma. Option III, by the way, is a run-on sentence. (For more on run-ons, see Chapter 3.)
28 III. Read the three options aloud and you see that only III makes sense, is true to the original meaning, and flows smoothly.
29 I, II. Options I and II emphasize the danger, something I personally would want to know if I were one of Nadia’s closest friends. The third option emphasizes that these friends know the location of the box. It’s not wrong, precisely, but it shifts the emphasis to an odd place. Did I fool you with option II? This one uses a subordinate clause (That Nadia’s closest friends know the location of the box) as the subject of the verb puts. The whole sentence is an independent clause, with a subordinate clause as subject.
30 I. III. The first and third options set up a time situation as well as a cause/effect relationship: The film informs the world about “the incident.” These options both work. Option II deals only with cause and effect, making timing part of the cause. This option is less logical than the other two.