Grammar - Clauses

Knowing how to use independent and dependent clauses correctly can add not only clarity to your sentences but also variety and "flavor." In this topic, you learned that a clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb. You also examined how to combine independent clauses using semicolons, commas, coordinating conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs. In addition to independent clauses, you explored three types of dependent clauses. Adjective clauses modify nouns or pronouns in a sentence, whereas adverbial clauses modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Noun clauses function as nouns in a sentence, either as a subject, subject complement (following a link verb), direct object, or object of a preposition. Now that you are familiar with different types of clauses and the variety of sentence structures they can create, your writing can become as creative and unique as you are.