Questions tagged [clauses]
Clauses are smallest grammatical unit that can express a complete proposition
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questions
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Sentences Starting With 'It' [closed]
Some ESL students have trouble understanding the logic of sentences starting with the pronoun it, i.e. 'It is cold.' Or using 'it' as a pronoun to replace ideas in general. Usually they will start the ...
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29 views
Is it grammatically correct to have multiple clauses and prepositions?
Is the following sentence grammatically correct and if so, are the commas necessary?
Exclude anyone who's inactive at, or opposed to, the event.
If not, is it grammatically correct to instead use ...
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16 views
Expressing the sentence with clause: “X is a vector. The i_th element of X is …”
I want to express "X is a vector. The i_th element of X is ..." with a clause. Which one is right:
X is a vector, the i_th element of which is ...
X is a vector, of which the i_th element is ...
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1answer
51 views
“I refer to him by, what I assume, is his nickname” vs “I refer to him by, what I assume, his nickname is”
I'm confused with the following sentances:
I refer to him by, what I assume, is his nickname: xxxx.
I refer to him by, what I assume, his nickname is: xxxx.
I refer to him by, what is his nickname: ...
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1answer
66 views
Types of Finite Clauses
I have been seeing a lot of "finite clauses" recently, all used in different ways. So I am here trying to clarify all the ways finite clauses can be used (or most of them).
I know a few finite ...
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13 views
Interjection between subordinate and main clauses
I have a question about this modest sentence for which I have no context except that it came to me. Then I wondered about its grammaticality.
Because it wasn’t my job—I didn’t work there—I left.
...
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25 views
Content clause : Wh-interrogative clause & Nominal relative clause
Wh-interrogative clauses and nominal relative clauses are two types of content clauses. Both of them are introduced by a wh-element & they look so similar that it's often difficult to distinguish ...
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60 views
How is the dependent clause acting in this sentence?
Today I came across this sentence,
“Happiness is when I play games after a tough day at work.”
In this sentence, I wasn’t sure how “when I play games,” a dependent clause, is acting. It’s a ...
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10 views
Noun clause (as an object )
In this sentence
Do you know if she's coming ?
We ve 2 subjects (you and she )
2 verbs ( know and coming )
And noun clause (as an object ) ( if she's is coming )
What is the second object in the ...
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1answer
36 views
Structuring a conditional sentence by commata
I have a question on some specific sentence and its punctuation. The sentence in question is:
[...] Hence, the only relevant information is, if such an unary language part is infinite, and if not, ...
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2answers
46 views
reduced causal adverbial clauses in the second part of a sentence
I should acknowledge that I asked this question in learner's site but I haven't got any helpful response; furthermore, I hold that this is a complex grammatical matter, so that is why I'm repeating ...
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27 views
Coordinating Conjunction vs subordinating conjunction. Who, Which Vs and it/that
I have a question about conjunctions, dependent and independent clauses.
The issue came up when a text book suggests that "and it" can replace "which/who".
But my understanding is that subordinating ...
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0answers
18 views
I'd prefer if you stayed. [type of if-clause?]
I'd prefer if you stayed.
The verb "prefer" is transitive. Therefore, "if you stayed" is its object. It seems to me the if-clause is a content clause here. But what type is it? It's not declarative ...
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76 views
The boy the girl the man saw kissed jumped
My Japanese friend asked me to help him translate this sentence but I cannot understand it.
Can someone explain the grammar of this?
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1answer
61 views
I heard <Mona singing that song> <the song sung by Mona>. [parse]
(1) I heard Mona singing that song.
(2) I heard the song sung by Mona.
"Mona singing that song" and "the song sung by Mona" are objects, each of which can be parsed two ways: "head noun phrase + ...
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24 views
What kind of clause?
The price of the stock fell more than $10 to end the day about $18, the first time stock prices have ever fell below $20.
What kind of clause is the one marked in bold? Can we separate these two ...
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1answer
41 views
Order of the “had” clause in conditional perfect
I know that I can use "had" to construct a conditional perfect:
Had it not rained yesterday, we would have finished painting the walls.
But is it grammatically correct to reverse the order of the ...
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41 views
Can the word “that” be substituted for in which?
Have you filled out the details in the paper that the date wasn't mentioned.
Is this a correct sentence?
Here I used "that" because I read in a grammar book "that" is sometimes used as an adverbial ...
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26 views
Can because appear in the start of a sentence?
I am usually used to writing because in the middle of a sentence during my school days. But nowadays I find that because also appears in the start of a sentence. Even if because is used in the start ...
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2answers
45 views
Confusion in identifying defining and non-defining relative clauses
I was watching a video on relative clauses and there was two sentences that confused me.
"I saw a car which was white"
The speaker said this sentence is definite clause.
"She went into the ...
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4answers
64 views
Can there be a single word clause?
It's said that a sentence must always contain a subject and a verb but I have read somewhere that the word "No" itself is a complete sentence. How?
Also a sentence always has at least one clause and ...
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0answers
29 views
“being” usage instead of “which is” at the end of a sentence
I saw a sentence while reading a book in which the following is written.
“The NOW function is sometimes called a nondeterministic function , which is a fancy way of saying that the resulting data ...
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32 views
clause usage after preposition
I have seen some sentences similar to the following one in a way that -ing form of "be" is used.
The verb is "be" therein. I wonder what if it is another verb like drink, see, come, go etc. any verb. ...
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2answers
66 views
I think this a compound-complex sentence - but I'm struggling to draw a tree diagram of the co-ordinating/sub-ordinating clause(s)
With my 'Rediscover Grammar' by David Crystal to hand, I've been struggling with trying to draw a tree diagram of the below sentence all day. I'm not asking anybody to do the diagram for, but I'm ...
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0answers
74 views
Are there use-cases for new types of punctuation outside of the standard set? [closed]
Do you think we would benefit from additional punctuation (or 'notation', in a broade sense) in prose? Can you give any examples of possible use cases for a new piece of notation/punctuation. I am ...
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1answer
99 views
What's the name of this construct - “We went to SuperFunTime, but it really wasn't”?
Where the missing clause is assumed to be a [a super fun time].
Or "Unfortunately, the elastic wasn't". Here it would be wasn't [elastic].
I did try to search, but if this has already been asked it'...
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2answers
50 views
Usage of comma and parallel verbs in this sentence
Interestingly enough, a large number of the Facebook-based business ventures [have been formed][,]
and [are run] and [managed] by women,
which directly and indirectly contributes to women's ...
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104 views
Appositive or Complement?
The way (that) he eats amuses me.
I found the way (that) leads out of here.
I love ice-cream in the same way (that) I love my mom.
1) The part of speech of the word that is conjunction in ...
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1answer
43 views
Adjectival use or Adverbial use
Consider this sentence, please:
Seeing the police, the thief ran away.
In tjis sentence, the first part is a non-finite dependent clause and the second part is a finite independent clause.
Now, ...
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1answer
30 views
Can I juxtapose two clauses that share one object?
To make the sentence short, I am putting two clauses side by side that share one object. The sentence I wanted to say is:
Meltwater of the glaciers, especially outbursts of glacier-dammed
...
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1answer
20 views
Confused about the use of “on” in “missed opportunity on sth” and “launched a campaign on sth”
Is it normal (in American English) to say:
1. Collected student body feedback and identified missed opportunity on the lack of campus safety instructions.
2. Launched a successful campus-wide campaign ...
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2answers
45 views
Noun clauses after from, about etc
Hello everybody I am an enthusiastic English learner and I would like to ask a question about noun clauses. Knowing the fact that noun clauses are group of words that take place as a noun in sentences ...
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1answer
52 views
Can an adjective modify the entire sentence?
I came across the following sentence, and I was so curious about “effective next Monday.”
Mr. Michael has resigned his position as senior sales manager, effective next Monday.
Effective is ...
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2answers
40 views
Is this dependent or independent sentence?
"Making trial of everything, with trust in new joy, and stirring the human kindness in all eyes that looked on her."
If it is an independent clause, could you please tell which is the subject and ...
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2answers
115 views
“John was happy about being accepted as a team member.” What part of speech is “accepted”?
John was happy about being accepted as a team member.
In one sense, John is an accepted team member, so it could be an adjective.
In an other sense, John was accepted by someone, or by the team or ...
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1answer
61 views
Had its place? What does it mean? And others
I've run into a sentence like the following and have few questions.
The pot cup which was on the wooden trestle on the left, had its place in the Bible, when Jesus pleads with God.
First of all ...
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1answer
288 views
Using commas and pronouns correctly in “Not only because, but also” construct
Firstly, I know that there are plenty of questions concerning "not only, but also" construct on StackExchange. However, none of them could give me an explanation for what I am trying to figure out...
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1answer
101 views
Grammatical analysis of these two sentences
Isn’t Istanbul a good city?
and
Istanbul is a good city, isn’t it?
In (1) what is the term for how “Isn’t Istanbul” is being used here? At first it looks like its function is to act as ...
0
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1answer
61 views
'To solve' versus 'To solving'
Trying to understand what seems to be a very subtle difference in written and spoken English. Recently, I've seen articles that use 'to + gerund' and 'to + infinitive' in the exact same situations, ...
1
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1answer
58 views
Can we reduce adjective clause in this sentence?
Can we reduce adjective clause in this sentence?
"He'd also tell me off for cooking food that made the house smell"
Is the following sentence correct?
"He'd also tell me off for cooking food making ...
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30 views
Can or could, which is correct, or at least better? Why? [duplicate]
She has forgotten how she could open the window.
Vs
She has forgotten how she can open the window?
In a sentence like this, which is correct or better ? could or can? Why?
Thanks!
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156 views
could it be that
I write the following sentences:
How will the Lord return? Could it be that the Lord may knock at our doors one day and say He is the Lord Jesus, and then we open the door to welcome Him?
Is "...
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0answers
21 views
Comma between two clauses
I want to find out why there is no comma between two clauses in this sentence and what is the grammar rule for it.
But the curious thing was that while he was doing so (,) a
totally different ...
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0answers
42 views
Comma before “as” when it is a conjunction [duplicate]
Between two independent clauses, should one put a comma before the conjunction as?
I went to the store as there was no milk in the refrigerator.
If because replaced as as the conjunction, would ...
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1answer
60 views
If I connect two independent clauses with a semicolon, do the subjects of the two have to be the same?
ex:
Their motivations varied and often intertwined; but, whether it was due to a desire for glory, wealth and power, knowledge, or religious converts, the entire worldview of Europe and Asia radically ...
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43 views
Is it actually incorrect to follow certain verbs with a that-clause?
I found a webpage saying certain verbs are followed by infinitives rather than that-clauses. However, is it actually incorrect to use a that-clause with certain verbs, for example, with the verb "...
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1answer
55 views
If the flow “were” working or “was”
I'm trying to understand why the plural is used in this case instead of the singular. The sentence uses the plural version of the past tense of "be" when referring to "the flow".
Why is the sentence ...
3
votes
1answer
158 views
How the west was won - Is this a noun phrase?
I'm trying to determine what the following types of phrases (in bold within the sentences below) would be called. I want to say they're noun phrases, but I may be wrong. To me, these resolve to ...
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1answer
22 views
Is this a dependant clause?
I was wondering if the following was a dependent clause:
There weren’t enough beds, so I had to sleep on the floor.
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1answer
48 views
Which one should I use? “OF IT” or “OF WHICH” [closed]
I bought a watermelon from the market, half ---- was rotten, so I threw it away and bought a new one.
It seems to me both of them are correct.
