Compound Sentences

Compound sentences are made up of two or more simple sentences combined

using a conjunction such as and, or or but. They are made up of more than one
independent clause joined together with a co-ordinating conjunction.

For example:

"The sun was setting in the west and the moon was just rising."

Each clause can stand alone as a sentence.

For example:

"The sun was setting in the west. The moon was just rising."
Every clause is like a sentence with a subject and a verb. A coordinating
conjunction goes in the middle of the sentence, it is the word that joins the two
clauses together, the most common are (and, or, but)

For example:

I walked to the shops, but my husband drove.

I might watch the film, or I might visit my friends.

My friend enjoyed the film, but she didn't like the actor.
What is a clause?

A clause is a part of a sentence. There are two main types: independent (main
clauses), dependent (subordinate clauses).

Independent Clauses
An independent clause is a complete sentence; it contains a subject and verb and
expresses a complete thought in both context and meaning.

For example: The door opened.

Independent clauses can be joined by a coordinating conjunction to form

complex or compound sentences.

Co-ordinating Conjunctions
and but for

or nor so

yet

For example: Take two independent clauses and join them together with the
conjunction and: " The door opened." "The man walked in." = The door opened
and the man walked in.

Dependent Clauses
A dependent (subordinate) clause is part of a sentence; it contains a subject and
verb but does not express a complete thought. They can make sense on their
own, but, they are dependent on the rest of the sentence for context and
meaning. They are usually joined to an independent clause to form a complex
sentence.

Dependent clauses often begin with a a subordinating conjunction or relative

pronoun (see below) that makes the clause unable to stand alone.
 Subordinating Conjunctions
after although as because

before even if even though if

in order that once provided that rather than

since so that than that

though unless until when

whenever where whereas wherever

whether while why

Relative Pronouns
that which whichever

who whoever whom

whose whosever whomever

For example:

The door opened because the man pushed it.

Dependent clauses can be nominal, adverbial or adjectival.

A nominal clause (noun clause) functions like a noun or noun phrase. It is a

group of words containing a subject and a finite verb of its own and contains
one of the following: that | if | whether

For example:

I wondered whether the homework was necessary.

Noun clauses answer questions like "who(m)?" or "what?"

An adverbial clause (adverb clause) is a word or expression in the sentence that
functions as an adverb; that is, it tells you something about how the action in the
verb was done. An adverbial clause is separated from the other clauses by any
of the following subordinating conjunctions: after | although | as | because |
before | if | since | that | though | till | unless | until | when | where | while

For example:

They will visit you before they go to the airport.

Adverbial clauses can also be placed before the main clause without changing
the meaning.

For example:

Before they go to the airport, they will visit you.

!Note - When an adverb clause introduces the sentence (as this one does), it is
set off with a comma.

Adverb clauses answer questions like "when?", "where?", "why?"

An adjectival clause (adjective clause or relative clause) does the work of an

adjective and describes a noun, it's usually introduced by a relative pronoun:
who | whom | whose | that | which

For example:

I went to the show that was very popular.

This kind of clause is used to provide extra information about the noun it
follows. This can be to define something (a defining clause), or provide
unnecessary, but interesting, added information (a non-defining clause).

For example:

The car that is parked in front of the gates will be towed away. (Defining
relative clause.)

Information contained in the defining relative clause is absolutely essential in

order for us to be able to identify the car in question.
 My dog, who is grey and white, chased the postman. ( Non-defining
relative clause)

A non-defining relative clause is separated from the rest of the sentence by

commas. If you take away the non-defining clause the basic meaning of the
sentence remains intact.

For example:

My dog chased the postman.

Adjective clauses answer questions like "which?" or "what kind of?"

Summary
An adjective clause functions as an adjective (modifies a noun or pronoun); an
adverb clause functions as an adverb (describes a verb, adjective or other
adverb); a noun clause is used as a noun (subject of a verb, direct object,
indirect object, predicate nominative or object of the preposition).

!Note - The difference between a clause and a phrase is that a phrase does not
contain a finite verb.

Relative Clauses
A relative clause follows the noun it modifies. It is generally indicated by a
relative pronoun at the start of the clause, although sometimes you can tell
simply by word order. The choice of relative pronoun, or choice to omit one,
can be affected by the following:-

Human or Non-human?
We make a distinction between an antecedent that is a human who(m) and
an antecedent which is a non-human which.

Who(m) is used when the antecedent is a person.

That is used to refer to either a person or thing.
Which is used to refer to anything exept a person.

I met a man and a woman yesterday. The woman, who had long blonde
hair, was very pretty.

The man she was with, was the man that / who won the race.
 The race was the one that I lost.

The man, to whom the winnings were given, was with the woman who
was very pretty.

!Note - Whom is not used much in spoken English.

Restrictive or Non-restrictive?
Restrictive relative clauses are sometimes called defining relative clauses, or
identifying relative clauses. Similarly, non-restrictive relative clauses are called
non-defining or non-identifying relative clauses.

In English a non-restrictive relative clause is preceded by a pause in speech or a

comma in writing, unlike a restrictive clause.

For example:-

The builder, who erects very fine houses, will make a large profit.
This example, with commas, contains a non-restrictive relative clause. It
refers to a specific builder, and assumes we know which builder is intended.
It tells us firstly about his houses, then about his profits.

The builder who erects very fine houses will make a large profit.
This second example uses a restrictive relative clause. Without the commas, the
sentence states that any builder who builds such houses will make a profit.