Questions tagged [clauses]
Clauses are smallest grammatical unit that can express a complete proposition
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'as he had lived'
In the clause 'He died as he had lived', what is the grammatical function of 'as he had lived'? I know it modifies 'died', and I know 'as' can be used.
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Is "Do this, please" an imperative sentence?
In a similar vein to Could you get me a glass of water, please? Is this an interrogative sentence or an imperative sentence.?, as a general rule, from a purely grammatical viewpoint, is a sentence an ...
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Is there a name for this kind of sentence structure where a clause is in subject position and **it** appears anaphorically in the matrix clause?
An early 15th century example of a clause deployed in subject position but with an anaphoric it as object of the verb in the matrix clause:
Þat þe sones of pore men gouernen may riche remes, telle it ...
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Clause structure of "Five'll get you ten, this rain stops in three minutes."
What is the clause structure of this sentence?
Five'll get you ten, this rain stops in three minutes.
Scenario: I'll (or somebody will) pay you $10 if this rain hasn't stopped within three minutes; ...
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The correct negative form (past participle)
I've been searching the answer to my question wherever it is possible, but I haven't managed to get the strict rule (or guideline) for it.
As we know the negative form of the past participle is ...
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What is the grammar rules that governs the words highlighted? [duplicate]
This sentence is an excerpt from The Economist website.
The Kremlin denied the advance, saying that Russian troops had repelled Ukrainian attacks in the region.
What is the grammatical rule that's ...
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Identifying independent & dependent clauses in a religious text [closed]
Ephesians 6:14-17
14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of ...
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Has the conception of prepositions broadened?
When I studied linguistics 40-some years ago, it was understood that
PP → Prep NP
But I’ve discovered sources that suggest that the class of prepositions is (now?) understood much more broadly.
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I need help with independent clauses
I got a bit confused about independent clauses,so I decided to ask ChatGpt, which has given me three different answers for the same sentence I think he is getting too old, suffering from Alzheimer's ...
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What's the relationship between a clause and a sentence? [closed]
A clause is usually defined as a subject + verb, which, to me, is a syntactical definition. It's like: OK, so that's how it looks, but what does it mean? And, what's the relationship between a clause ...
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How would you join a dependent clause to an independent clause that ends with a list?
Here is an example:
I have developed my ability to identify the factors that impact my physical, mental, and emotional health[,] and am beginning to apply this understanding to make informed ...
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Should there be a comma before "and" in this sentence?
There should be opposing viewpoints so that discussion can take multiple turns AND people can finally reach a solution that neutralizes both viewpoints.
Should there be a comma before "and" ...
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Can a series unite independent clauses with other fragments?
It's common to unite multiple independent clauses with an "and" in order to form a sentence. For example, consider a sentence that says, "The weather is warm, campsites are abundant, ...
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Is it a noun clause or phrase when the nominal entity is modified by a determiner?
From my textbook, A noun phrase is headed by a noun. Modifiers include articles, adjectives and demonstratives. Qualifiers include prepositional phrases and relative/adjectival clauses.
Given the ...
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Types of Clause
I'm getting perplexed searching "how many types of clause ....?" Because different websites are giving different answers.
I am thinking about taking it as, may be there are two types: ...
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Omitting the Subject from the first clause, mentioning it in the second
I am working on teaching an English grammar point to a group of students in an ESL course.
However, I am not aware of the grammar points that structure and allow this particular usage.
In the example ...
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In the sentence "I want to buy the vase on the shelf which is very beautiful", which is beautiful? vase or shelf? [duplicate]
In the sentence "I want to buy the vase on the shelf which is very beautiful", which is beautiful? vase or shelf?
If "which" refers to the shelf (vase), how to refer to the vase (...
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Implicit subject in a dependent clause (or is it independent?) [duplicate]
In the sentence
I can resend it or paste it here on WhatsApp
I am unsure if adding a comma before "or" is appropriate. The clause "paste it here on WhatsApp" seems to be, on its ...
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Complex sentences [closed]
So we don't consider forms like
Created from a fusion of the animal’s top lip and its nose, the elephant’s trunk is a multi-functional tool.
as a complex sentence depending on the concept that the ...
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What role does "eager to be true partners in a struggle for social justice" play in the sentence?
Excerpt from
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander:
African Americans throughout the South responded with great hope and enthusiasm, eager to be true partners in a struggle for social justice.
What ...
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Should there be a comma in "what you make others feel about themselves, says a lot about you"?
After seeing this quote in various places, I have noticed that some variants have a comma, whereas others do not.
With a comma:
"How you make others feel about themselves, says a lot about you.&...
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The toy was the best and built last year. Is a second "was" necessary to create "was built"?
Which of the below sentences is grammatically correct?
(A) The toy was the best and built last year.
(B) The toy was the best and was built last year.
I believe that sentence (B) is correct, but is ...
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Participle clause containing a subject [duplicate]
I am confused as to whether it is correct to use a participle clause as a nonessential element in a sentence like with a participle phrase.
For example, I know that the following sentence is correct:
...
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Which is the main clause and which the subclause in "as ... so ..." sentences?
In
As their wares moved eastwards along their trade routes, so did their culture.
Is the main clause:
so did their culture
as their wares moved eastwards along their trade routes
their wares moved ...
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Should I use two commas for an adjective and nonrestrictive clause preceding a noun?
I wrote the following sentence:
A plain, usually blue, background with a seal in the center makes for a simplistic flag that breaks many design rules.
The commas surrounding "usually blue" ...
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Could I replace "if" with "that“ in "the only way is if...."?
"We're the world's oldest democracy, and the only way that can come unraveled is if we have disrespect for institutions that lead to Americans turning on Americans," he said.
What's the way?...
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Is this an adjective phrase or an adverbial phrase?
“The grocery store where I always shop went out of business.”
This source - https://www.masterclass.com/articles/subordinate-clause-explained - identifies "where I always shop" as an example ...
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Plural “who clause” subtlety [duplicate]
“Most Americans who have a car…”
“Most Americans who have a car in their garage…”
Should that be his garage? Their garages?
“Most Americans who have cars in their garages…” sounds unobjectionable, but ...
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Independent clause between commas?
In the following sentence, which is the independent clause?
Exercising four times a week, doctors claim, can help prevent heart disease.
Is it “Exercising four times a week can help prevent heart ...
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As if as though
I am having a problem identifing which gramatical function as if (as though, like) has
As far as I know
After linking verbs, we have noun/ noun phrase/ noun clause and adjective/ adjective phrase ...
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What do these two "which"s refer to in this sentence?
Superstition, Flusfeder argues, isn’t some primitive hangover from our distant past. It is the inevitable result of our capacity for taking mental shortcuts, which makes us capable of thinking on our ...
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A main clause that doesn't follow from a subordinate clause [closed]
Because it's raining outside, I'm wearing orange socks today.
What is the term for this kind of sentence? Closest I can find is non sequitur?
Furthermore, do the below concepts have names?
A ...
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Conditional clauses and serial commas [closed]
Once the coins have passed their expiry date, they will no longer be valid, and will not be reissued.
Is this an example of a zero conditional sentence?
Is the last comma acceptable?
Is the tense ...
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What is the term for repeating non-restrictive clauses?
I came across the following quote:
Scientists would soon find themselves adrift in a bewildering realm of
particles and antiparticles, where things pop in and out of existence
in spans of time that ...
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"survey the landscape" idiomatic?
Can I use the phrase "to survey the landscape" when refering not to an actual outdoors scenery but to something more abstract? In this case, I want to express that I was researching ...
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Perfect Continuous Passive Participle Clause?
Having been being lost in the woods for hours, he was finally found by emergency services.
Does this mean:
After he had been being lost in the woods for hours, he was finally found by emergency ...
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I'll be at the concert tomorrow evenif/while/if it means queuing for tickets all night [closed]
In my Cambridge English book there is a practice sentence where I have to put in a clause. The options are 'while', 'despite', 'if' and 'even if'. The context is contrast clauses.
The sentence is:
I'...
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Must a compound sentence have a comma? [duplicate]
Must a compound sentence have a comma?
If it simply linking two independent clauses with a conjunction, does it require a comma? e.g.
He poured me another drink and I drank it.
If not a compound ...
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Can an independent clause be interrupted by a conjunction without a comma and still be an independent clause? [closed]
Can an independent clause be interrupted by a conjunction without a comma and still be an independent clause? e.g.:
He poured me another drink and I drank it.
or:
Max climbed onto his horse and we ...
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What is the correct structure to use in a sentence containing 'once' as the subordinate conjunction? [closed]
In a sentence containing a conjunction, what are the correct verb forms to be used in the two clauses? For example:
I would also suggest that once all these items are established, they must be added ...
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Too many “and”s - separating clauses vs. list items
I have the following sentence and feel like my usage of “and” is awkward since it makes it look like a list of three things:
The scale of the problem has only become greater thanks to the internet ...
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How to say "you added a clause in end of statment"? [closed]
How do you call the act of adding a clasue to the end of a statment, which weakens it and makes it sort-of conditional?
Examples: "Nice to see you, this time!"
"I love it, in a way,
&...
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English clause word order
I found this sentence:
I am convinced that not only could I control a group of people effectively, but the group would also benefit from my skills.
Why is this word order correct: "could I"...
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What is the relationship between these two clauses?
I came across this sentence:
Even as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan morph into shapeless struggles, they have given birth to an extraordinary outpouring of writing that tries to make sense of it ...
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Do you always need to break up clauses with commas?
I've been getting back into creative writing after years away from it and have been running into some grammar issues. This time, it's about clauses and commas.
'I like him because he's funny and he's ...
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Adverb clause of comparison
What is the subordinate clause in this sentence? Which is the main clause?
"The higher you ascend, the colder it becomes."
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Constructions of the form 'He has committed I don't know how many crimes.'
What is the grammar (or syntax, if you will) of constructions of the form of the below sentence?
He has committed I don't know how many crimes.
In this sentence, for example, what is the grammatical ...
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Top down or bottom up for reducing a sentence to all its parts?
I'm still learning grammar. I'm trying to figure out the steps to break down a sentence. My process now is to look at the sentence as a whole first. Then I classify it as either simple, compound, ...
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Can I use different subjects like the following in two clauses?
I know I can use
When I opened the envelope, I found two letters within it.
However, I wish to go for the following, if it is correct
When I opened the envelope, two letters showed up.
Can the ...
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The definition of 'clause' in modern grammar: construction vs function
Most modern grammars recognize verbless clauses such as the boy on the roof in (1) and on the roof in (2):
(1) With the boy on the roof, they feared he might jump off it.
(2) When on the roof, he ...
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