Clauses, Phrases, and their Effects on Writing



By Ryan Friend

ryan@

Clauses, Phrases, and their Effects on Writing

By Ryan Friend

Phrases vs. clauses Phrases are small groups of words standing together as a conceptual unit. They can be as short as one word.

Clauses are phrases that have a subject and a predicate. Every complete sentence has a main clause, or independent clause. Many sentences also have subordinate clauses, or dependent clauses.

Main clauses Main/independent clauses are the main subject, verb, and (if applicable) object of the sentence, with the articles that modify them.

Suzie rode her bicycle.

"Her" modifies "bicycle" and is a pronoun article.

Subordinate clauses Subordinate clauses have a subject and verb (and sometimes object) but do not stand alone.

Adverbial subordinate clause: When Suzie rode her bicycle to the store, she fell down and scraped her knee.

Adverb phrase modifying the compound verb "fell" and "scraped."

Adjectival subordinate clause: Suzie, who was riding her bicycle to the store, fell down and scraped her knee.

Adjective clause modifying the subject "Suzie"

Placement of clauses Clauses can occur at the beginning, middle, and end of the sentence.

Beginning: When Suzie rode her bicycle to the store, she fell down and scraped her knee.

Middle (between subject and verb): Suzie, when she rode her bicycle to the store, fell down and scraped her knee.

End: Suzie fell down and scraped her knee when she rode her bicycle to the store.

All of these are adverb clauses modifying the compound verb "fell" and "scraped."

Noun Noun clause

Clauses can function as nouns in the sentence.

Subject

1



By Ryan Friend

ryan@

What Suzie said surprised her mother. Direct object Suzie's mother asked her when she would ride her bicycle to the store.

"When she would ride..." is a noun clause acting as the direct object of "asked." "Her" is the indirect object.

Clauses can act as adverbs.

Adverb

Kinds of Adverbial Clauses How?

1. Manner

Suzie rode her bike as if the Nazgul were after her.

Modifies "rode"

The hobbit packed his bags exactly the way he wanted them to be.

Modifies "packed" 2. Concession Suzie kept riding, even though her knee hurt from falling off.

Modifies "kept riding" The hobbit couldn't bring his cooking pots, though he wanted to.

Modifies "couldn't bring" 3. Comparison Suzie could ride her bike as fast as her older sister could.

Modifies "fast" One hobbit was much fatter than the other was.

Modifies "fatter"

When?

4. Time When Suzie rode her bicycle to the store, she fell off and scraped her knee.

Modifies "fell" and "scraped" The hobbits were amazed when they heard the elves sing.

Modifies "were amazed"

Where?

5. Place Suzie rode where she had fallen off the day before.

Modifies "rode" Wherever the hobbits got hungry, they stopped and had a snack.

2



By Ryan Friend

ryan@

Modifies "stopped" and "had"

Why?

6. Condition If Suzy falls off her bike again, her mother will not let her ride to the store.

Modifies "will not let" The world would have ended if the hobbits hadn't finished their quest.

Modifies "would have ended" 7. Purpose Suzy rode to the store to buy some milk.

Modifies "rode" In order to save the world, the hobbits walked to Mordor.

Modifies "walked" 8. Reason Suzy fell off her bike because her shoelaces got caught in the chain.

Modifies "fell" Since they were too heavy to carry, Samwise had to leave his cooking pans.

Modifies "had" 9. Result Suzy's shoelace got so tangled that she fell off her bike.

Modifies "got tangled" The hobbits showed such bravery that they were honored by the king.

Modifies "showed"

Kinds of adverbial phrases (Remember that phrases can be just one word. Practice figuring out what each adverb

modifies.)

1. Manner Suzie rode her bike quickly. The hobbit packed his bags meticulously.

2. Place Suzie fell off her bike there. The hobbit invited the wizard inside.

3. Time Suzie came home late. The hobbits ate then.

4. Duration Suzie rode her bicycle for hours. The hobbits ate then.

5. Frequency Suzie rode her bicycle every day. Hobbits like to eat six times a day.

6. Focusing

3



By Ryan Friend

ryan@

Suzie only rode her bicycle. Hobbits mostly do not like adventures. 7. Degree Suzie did not knot her shoelaces enough and they tangled in her bike. Hobbits are extremely brave. 8. Certainty or necessity Suzie will probably be more careful next time. The hobbits certainly enjoyed their adventure. 9. Evaluative Luckily, Suzie only skinned her knee. The hobbits unfortunately did not see any dragons. 10. Viewpoint Personally, I think that Suzie rides her bike too fast. The hobbits obviously wanted to save the world. 11. Linking Suzie therefore learned to ride more carefully. The hobbits nevertheless were happy to go home.

Adjective Kinds of adjective clauses

Adjective clauses are also known as relative clauses.

Adjective clauses always begin with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, that, which). Adjective clauses can also begin with a relative adverb (when, where, why, how).

Modifying the subject:

Suzie, who was riding her bicycle to the store, fell off and scraped her knee.

The hobbits, who would have preferred to stay peacefully at home, were swept off into an adventure.

Modifying the direct object:

Suzie rode her bicycle, which she had gotten for her birthday.

The hobbits stopped at the resting spot where they had seen the elves.

Modifying any other noun

Kinds of adjective phrases Modifying the subject:

Suzie, sprawled on the pavement, realized she should have tied her shoelaces tighter.

The hobbit in his hole did not know a wizard was outside his door.

Modifying the direct object:

Suzie rode her bright pink bicycle.

4



By Ryan Friend

ryan@

The hobbit threw a long-expected party. Modifying any other noun Adjective phrases and clauses modifying pronouns Indefinite pronouns The hobbit thought he was nobody special. Bring with you someone whom you can trust.

Used with copulative verbs

Predicate phrases

Predicate nominatives (nouns)

He was a mess.

He looked a mess.

Clause: He was who I was looking for.

Predicate adverbs

He was outside.

He looked outside.

Clause: It was when we went to summer camp.

Clause: He looked how he wanted.

We'll roll ourselves down the counter, out of the window, off the awning, into the bushes, across the street, and into the harbor. ?Gill from Finding Nemo

The lightning ball struck our house, cut the telephone wires, burnt the window frame, and then buried itself in a tub of water which was underneath. (Alternative construction that does not use adverbs)

Predicate adjectives

He was tired

He looked tired.

Predicate adjective clause

(I don't think a predicate adjective clause exists.)

Prepositional phrases Like predicate phrases, prepositional phrases can act as adjectives, adverbs, and nouns.

Adjective

The Dalek with the green paint job said `Exterminate! Exterminate!'

5

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download