Week 4

SUBORDINATE CLAUSES
1. Definition.
A subordinate clause is a group of related words that contains both a subject and a
predicate (a finite verb). Like a phrase, a subordinate clause (dependent) is not a
sentence. It is linked to the main clause by a subordinate conjunction or a relative
pronoun.
2. Identification.
Subordinate clauses are identified by their functions in the sentence.
a. Noun clause (NC) is in the functions of a noun.
 Subject
Ex: What you said is very interesting.
Why he forgot his appointment is a mystery.
That you are very charming is undeniable.
Whether you come or not is not important to her.
It is essential that you know the truth.
 Direct object
Ex: He said that he loved me
I don’t know where you are living
 Indirect object
Ex: She made whomever she met the same greeting.
She offered whoever came a gift.
Give the tool to whoever can use them best.
 Object of preposition
Ex: You can go with whomever you like.
From where you are standing, you can see everybody.
 Subject complement
Ex: That’s what I intended to say.
 Object complement
Ex: She made me what I am now.
You can call me whatever you like.
 Complement of noun
Ex: The hope that you’ll pass the exam is great.
The notion that women are poor drivers cannot hold under
investigation.
 Complement of adjective
Ex: I am hopeful that you’ll pass the exam.
She is glad that you can come with us.
b. Adjective clauses modify a noun or pronoun. They are introduced by a
relative pronoun.
Ex: The boy who is sleeping in class is my son.
I’ll never forget the town where I was born.
 Days when we have no chores to do are as rare as winning
lottery tickets.
c. Adverb clauses tell when, where, why, how, under what conditions, to
what degree. Usually they modify the verb, adjective, adverb, or the whole
sentence and are separated by a comma when they precede the main clause.
Different types of adverb clause
 Manner : introduced by as, as if, as though, in that …
Ex: Paul did the work as it ought to be done.
He ran as if he were mad.
We were at a disadvantage in that they outnumbered us two
to one.
 Place: introduced by where, wherever.
Ex: Put it back where you found it.
I’ll follow you wherever you go.
 Time: introduced by when, while, after, before, as soon as, as long as,
by the time, once, no sooner … than, …
Ex: Come back as soon as you can.
I’ll have finished by the time you get back.
I met him as he was coming out of school.
You’ll find the way all right once you get there.
He had no sooner arrived than he demanded a meal.
 Reason / Cause: introduced by because, since, as, seeing that, now
that…
Ex: Since you won’t help me, I must do the job myself.
Now that we’ve mastered this step, we can progress to the
next one.
 Purpose: introduced by so that, in order that, lest (so that.. not), for fear
that, in case (so that…not) …
Ex: Some people eat so that they may live.
I am telling you this lest you should make a mistake.
He tiptoed into the room for fear that he might wake the
baby up.
We didn’t move in case we woke him up.
 Concession / Opposition : introduced by though, although, as though,
even though, even if, however (+ adjective / adverb), no matter how,
whether … or not, in spite of the fact that, whatever, whoever …
Ex: He did well in his exam even if he didn’t get a prize.
However hard he tries, he can never win her heart.
Whatever you may say, I still think I did the right thing.
No matter whether you agree or not, I’ll pay him the price
he asks.
He’s coming today in spite of the fact that I told him I didn’t
want him.
 Poor as he is, he lives honestly. (although he is poor)
Try as he will, he can never get success. (though he tries
hard) .
Much as you may earn, you can never satisfy her needs
(although you may earn a lot of money …)
 Comparison or Degree : introduced by as, than
Ex: This work is not as easy as you think.
She was cleverer than I could think.
 Result or Effect : introduced by so … that, such … that, so that
Ex: He ran so fast that I could not catch him.
She is such a charming girl that nobody can help loving her.
He bought a good book so that he learnt English well.
He bought so good a book that he learnt English well.
He bought such a good book that he learnt English well.
 Condition: introduced by if, unless, supposing, provided, on condition
that, as long as.
Ex: Unless you take the car, I won’t go.
As long as my parents still support me, I don’t have to find a
part-time job.
(Dang Thi Huong, 1998: 208-224)
EXERCISE 4
Analyze the subordinate clauses in the following sentences.
Ex: Richard left dirty footmarks wherever he went.
AvC/M
1. Food manufacturers contend that modern processing often robs food of its natural

color.

2. What my son wants to wear is now almost entirely his business.

3. Grocers today must deal with shoppers whose basic attitudes are drastically

changed.

4. As I talked to my neighbors, I found that all of them did depend on a world that

stretched far beyond their property lines.

5. As it declines in value, money becomes more of an obsession.

6. If a pitcher who throws only a fastball and a curveball is in a tight situation, the

batter can reasonably expect the fastball.

 7. Bloodhounds do not follow tracks as people often believe … Because a trail so

often hangs several inches or sometimes feet above the ground, hounds can follow

a person even if he wades through water.

8. At present, computers are rapidly moving into offices around the world to take

over secretarial chores that involve processing words.

9. The language is what it is, and not what you want it to be.

10. Don’t handle those cups as if they were made of iron

IV. SENTENCES
1. Definition
‘A sentence is a grammatically self-contained unit of speech that contains a
subject and a predicate.’ (Lester, p. 258)
‘A sentence is a group of words grammatically linked to make complete sense
that begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.’
(Blake, 1993: 17)
The traditional definition of a sentence is ‘a group of words that contains a
subject, a finite verb and makes complete sense’.
(Dang Thi Huong, 1998:203)

In fact, sentences can be defined in several different ways. There is no perfect

definition for sentence. However, basing on these different definitions, we can
draw out some main features of a sentence:
 The words in the sentence must be grammatically linked.
 A sentence must carry a complete sense.
 Usually a sentence contains a Subject and a Predicate.
 A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
2. The parts of a sentence
Usually a sentence is divided into two parts: Subject and Predicate.
a. Subject
The subject of the sentence acts, is acted upon, or is discussed.
The subject may be:
 The simple subject consists of a noun or a pronoun without its modifiers.
Ex: Classes start tomorrow.
Paul is laughing loudly.
 The complete subject consists of the simple subject plus any modifiers.
Ex: Adult education classes at the museum start tomorrow.
 The boy you met last night at the supermarket is my son.
 A compound subject has two or more subjects joined by a coordinators
such as and, or, but, so, nor, for, yet, both … and, either .. or, neither …
nor …
Ex: My father and his old friend are having tea in the garden.

b. Predicate
The predicate tells what the subject is doing, indicates what is being done to
the subject, or expresses something about the subject.
The predicate may be:
 The simple predicate consists of the verb alone.
Ex: The bell rang.
The girl giggles.
 The complete predicate consists of the verb, which is the grammatical
center of the predicate, and any objects, modifiers, or complements.
Ex: That boy offered me a special gift on his birthday last week.
 The compound predicate has two or more verb phrases joined by
coordinating conjunctions, plus adverbial modifiers.
Ex: Ted collects old records and plays them in a jazz club.
(Lester, p. 259 - 261)

3. Types of sentence
Sentences can be classified according to their function or their structure.
a. By Function
 A statement or declarative sentence is an informative sentence.
Ex: Mary opened the letter straightaway.
Michael caught the error.
 A question or interrogative sentence asks for information.
Ex: Do all mammals walk?
Has Mary opened the letter?
 A command or imperative sentence issues an order.
Ex: Open the letter.
Stop talking!
 An exclamation sentence expresses emotion.
Ex: What big eyes you have!
How beautiful you are!

b. By Structure
 A simple sentence consists of one finite clause.
Ex: Mary opened the letter. (one subject + one predicate)
+ Simple sentence with compound subject
Ex: My new student and his old father come from England.
+ Simple sentence with compound predicate
 Ex: My father likes coffee but dislikes tea.
 A complex sentence contains one main clause and one or more
subordinate clauses.
Ex: Although it rains very hard, the poor boy walks to school.
The person who wins will receive a $2000 scholarship.
 A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses linked by a
coordinator or a semi-colon.
Ex: Some journalists travel all over the world for their stories,
but most spend their time on the telephone.
 A compound-complex or mixed sentence contains at least two main
clauses or one independent clause and one main clause plus at least one
subordinate clause.
Ex: Many television reporters started in radio, but others moved
to television from newspapers, where the emphasis is on
investigation and good writing.

EXERCISE 5
Analyze the following sentences
Ex: He says that he likes coffee => Complex sentence
He says: Main clause; that he likes coffee: subordinate noun clause
1. Listed below are groups of words that are only pieces of sentences, fragments of

thoughts.

2. As you make revisions, remember to capitalize the first word of each sentence and to

end the sentence with a period.

3. To write complete sentences with ease, learn the parts of a sentence that are explained

in this chapter.

4. The use of illegal drug named Ecstasy has increased alarmingly in Britain over the

last few years.

5. The subject of the sentence is that part about which something is said.

6. John wasn’t happy at school until he found he had the ability to make people laugh.

7. He can with this knowledge prevent or combat destructive fires.

8. Delayed by the bad weather, the plane arrived one hour late.

9. The beautiful girl sitting in the first row gave me her new address yesterday.

10. Ann went to Canada to visit relatives for a week and decided to stay there for work.

11. A little confused, the girl didn’t know how to answer the question.

12. With growing interest, I read eagerly the book he lent me yesterday.

13. The committee found it hard to decide each year who merits the Nobel peace prize.

14. They worked without pause, and within an hour they could finish what they had been

given.

15. Tom finds a computer very useful for his study and he has decided to find a part time

job to save money.

16. The police found the man who had a scar on his right cheek guilty of the fire.

17. Although the teacher has already arrived, the students keep talking loudly.

18. Because of her encouraging remarks, he has been working like a steam engine.

19. Before you pass judgment, you should consider the actualities of the case.

20. Harold doesn’t like making speeches in front of the class because he is very

shy.

TEST 3
1. A clause contains at least one:
a. Non-finite verb b. finite verb c. auxiliary d. linking
verb
2. A clause is identified by:
a. function b. headword c. verb d. main verb
3. Which of the followings is true about clauses?
a. Clauses are usually classified as independent clause, main clause, and
subordinate clauses
b. A clause is named by its head word c. A clause is named by its finite
verb
d. the same clause may perform different functions in the sentence at the same
time.
4. An independent clause is a clause that:
a. cannot stand alone with full meaning b. can stand alone with full
meaning
c. is followed by a dependent clause d. may contain one or more
finite verbs
5. Which of the following is not true about subordinate clauses?
a. they convey a complete meaning b. they must always go with a main
clause
c. they can never stand alone d. they consist of noun, adjective, and
adverb clauses
6. Which of the following is not true about noun clauses?
a. A noun clause acts as a noun
b. A noun clause can perform the functions of a noun
c. A noun clause is identified by the introducing word
d. A noun clause can be at different positions
7. Which of the following is not true about adjective clauses?
a. Adjective clauses are in function nominal modifier
b. Adjective clauses are also called relative clauses
c. Adjective clauses are introduced by relative pronouns
d. Adjective clauses can be at different positions
8. Which of the following is not true about adverb clauses?
a. Adverb clauses can be modifier of a verb, adjective, noun, adverb, or
sentence
b. Adverb clauses act as an adverb
c. Adverb clauses are introduced by a subordinate conjunction
d. Adverb clauses can be at different positions
9. By form the underlined part in ‘Who you are is what I want to know’ is a(n):
a. adverb clause b. adjective clause c. noun clause
10. By form the underlined part in ‘Whether we are going for a picnic again is the
question he’s
always asking’ is a(n):
a. adverb clause b. noun clause c. adjective clause
11. By form the underlined part in ‘we’ll delay the picnic until next week, when
the weather may be better’ is a(n):
a. noun clause b. adjective clause c. adverb clause
12. By form the underlined part in ‘the guests came on the week when I was
housecleaning’ is a(n):
a. adjective clause b. noun clause c. adverb clause
13. By form the underlined part in ‘I don’t remember the town where I was born’ is
a(n):
a. noun clause b. adjective clause c. adverb clause
14. By form the underlined part in ‘I don’t remember where I was born’ is a(n):
a. noun clause b. adjective clause c. adverb clause
15. By form the underlined part in ‘I’ll live where you live’ is a(n):
a. adjective clause b. adverb clause c. noun clause
16. A sentence can be defined as:
a. a group of words grammatically linked to convey a complete thought
b. a group of words containing a finite verb
c. a group of words with a subject, a verb, and an object
d. a group of words with a subject, a verb, and a modifier
17. A sentence usually consists of:
a. Subject + Object b. Subject + Finite verb c. Subject + Predicate d.
Verb + Modifier
18. A simple sentence is the one consisting of:
a. only one finite verb b. an independent and a main
clause
c. a main clause and a subordinate clause d. only one clause
19. A simple sentence with compound subject is the one consisting of:
a. [Subject1 + Subject2] + Predicate b. Subject +
Predicate
 b. Subject + [Predicate1 + Predicate2] d. [Subject + Predicate] + [Subject
+ Predicate]
20. A simple sentence with compound predicate is the one consisting of:
a. Subject + [Predicate1 + Predicate2] b. Subject +
Predicate
b. [Subject1 + Subject2] + Predicate d. [Subject + Predicate] + [Subject +
Predicate]
21. A complex sentence is the one consisting of:
a. independent + subordinate(s) b. main + subordinate(s)
c. independent + independent d. independent + main +
subordinate(s)
22. A compound sentence is the one consisting of:
a. independent + independent b. independent + subordinate
c. main + subordinate(s) d.
independent + main + subordinate(s)
23. A compound-complex sentence is the one consisting of:
a. main + subordinate(s) b.
independent + subordinate(s)
c. main + main +subordinate(s) d. independent + independent
24. Which of the following is not a type of sentence classified according to
function?
a. simple b. interrogative c. imperative d. statement
25. Which of the following is not a type of sentence classified according to
structure?
a. exclamatory b. complex c. compound d. simple
26. By structure, the sentence “Listed below are groups of words that are only
pieces of sentences” is:
a. simple b. simple with compound predicate c. complex
d. compound
27. By structure, the sentence “while making revisions, remember to capitalize the
first word of each sentence and to end the sentence with a period” is:
a. simple b. simple with compound predicate c. complex
d. compound
28. By function, the sentence “while making revisions, remember to capitalize the
first word of each sentence and to end the sentence with a period” is:
 a. complex b. simple c. imperative d.
compound
29. By structure, the sentence “to write complete sentences with ease, learn the
parts of a sentence that are explained in this chapter” is:
a. complex b. simple with compound predicate c. simple
d. compound
30. By structure, the sentence “Ann went to Canada to visit relatives for a week
and decided to stay there for work” is:
a. simple with compound predicate b. simple c. complex
d. compound