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Dependent Clauses
1. RELATIVE (ADJECTIVE) CLAUSE
This type of dependent clause is the adjective or relative clause. It is acting as an adjective because it modifies a noun or pronoun. The clause will start with a relative pronoun e.g. which, who, that, whom, where, or whose.it usually comes directly after the noun it's modifying so unlike adverbial clauses, the position where it appears in the independent clause will vary. The adjective clause in English will follow one of these patterns: Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Object of Verb] + S + V This is the ball ( that) I was bouncing. Relative Adverb + S + V (possibly + Object of Verb) That is the house where I grew up. That is the house where I met her. Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Subject] + Verb (possibly + Object of Verb) That is the person who hiccuped. That is the person who saw me. Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Object of Preposition] + S + V (possibly + Object of Verb)
- Preposition That is the person who(m) I was talking about. That is the person who(m) I was telling you about. Preposition + Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Object of Preposition] + S + V (possibly + Object of Verb) That is the person about whom I was talking. That is the person about whom I was telling you. Possessive Relative Pronoun + Noun [Functioning as Subject] + Verb (possibly + Object of Verb) That is the dog whose big brown eyes pleaded for another cookie. That is the dog whose big brown eyes begged me for another cookie****. Possessive Relative Pronoun + Noun [Functioning as Object of Verb] + S + V That is the person whose car I saw.
2. ADVERBIAL CLAUSE
An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb; that is, the entire clause modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. As with all clauses, it contains a subject and predicate, although the subject as well as the (predicate) verb may sometimes be omitted and implied (see below). An adverbial clause is fronted by a subordinating conjunction—sometimes called a trigger word. (In the examples below the adverbial clause is italicized and the subordinating conjunction is bolded.) Mary, the aspiring actress, became upset as soon as she saw the casting list. (subject: she ; predicate: saw the casting list ; the clause modifies the verb became ) Peter Paul, the drama teacher, met with Mary after she came to the next class .'' (explicit subject: she ; predicate: came to the next class. ; predicate (verb): came ; the clause modifies the verb met ) He talked carefully in order to appear fair. He talked carefully in order .. [that 'he'] appear fair. (implied subject, he , is omitted; predicate (verb): appear ; the clause modifies the adverb carefully ) The little boy preferred fierce dinosaurs, as [was] T rex. (subject of the clause: T rex ; predicate of the clause: [was] , implied; the clause modifies the adjective fierce .) According to Sidney Greenbaum and Randolph Quirk, adverbial clauses function mainly as ADJUNCTS OR DISJUNCTS, which parts also perform in a sentence as adverbial phrases or as adverbial prepositional phrases ( Greenbaum and Quirk , 1990). Unlike clauses, phrases do not contain a subject and predicate; they are contrasted here: We left the convention the day before. (adverbial phrase; contains no subject or predicate) We left before the speeches. (adverbial prepositional phrase; contains no subject or predicate—and no verb (action) is implied) We left after the speeches ended. (adverbial clause; contains subject and predicate) We left after the speeches. or, ( ".. after the speeches [ended]" ) (adverbial clause; contains subject and predicate, but the verb 'ended' is omitted and implied)
3. NOUN (Content) CLAUSE
In English, there are two main kinds of content clauses: declarative content clauses (or that - clauses), which correspond to declarative sentences, and interrogative content clauses, which correspond to interrogative sentences.
Declarative content clauses
Declarative content clauses can have a number of different grammatical roles. They often serve as direct objects of verbs of reporting, cognition, perception, and so on. In this use, the conjunction that may head the clause, but is often omitted: He told her (that) she was smart. She thought (that) he was friendly. I hear (that) they've started dating. They wish (that) they had met earlier. Similarly with certain verb-like adjectives: I'm not sure (that) he was right. Convinced (that) he could manage it without help , he decided to proceed. They also often serve as complements of nouns—both nouns corresponding to the above verbs, and nouns like fact , idea , and so on. Here, that is almost always included: ... our hope that someday the whole world will know peace ... ... the fact that all matter obeys the same physical laws ... ... the idea that a son would do such a thing to his father ... Finally, they can serve as subjects, or as direct objects of verbs that link them to adjectives or other predicatives. In this use, they are commonly postponed to the end of their main clause, with an expletive dummy it standing in their original place: It startled me that the students were so advanced. It is important that we remember this day. I find it sad that he doesn't know the answer. It annoys me that she does that. Here as before, a conjunction is almost always included, although it does not need to be that : I like (it) when she comes to visit. It bothers me how she doesn't care what he wants.
Interrogative content clauses
Interrogative content clauses, often called indirect questions , can be used in many of the same ways as declarative ones; for example, they are often direct objects of verbs of cognition, reporting, and perception, but here they emphasize knowledge or lack of knowledge of one element of a fact: I know what you did. I can't guess how he managed it. I wonder whether I looked that bad. She asked where the files were. Such clauses correspond to direct questions , which are questions actually asked. The direct questions corresponding to the examples above are What did you do? How did he manage it? Did I look that bad? Where are the files? Notice how, in English (and in some other languages), different syntax is used in direct and indirect questions: direct questions normally use subject-
verb inversion, while indirect questions do not. Reported questions (as in the last of the examples) are also subject to the tense and other changes that apply generally in indirect speech. Indirect questions can serve as adjective and noun complements. Here, in English, they are generally introduced by a preposition, especially of : … the question (of) who was responsible … … his curiosity over how it happened … … sure of what he had seen … Like declarative content clauses, they are often postponed to the end of their main clause, with an expletive dummy it standing in their original place, when they serve as the subject of a verb, or as the direct object of a verb that links them to a predicative: It is not known where they came from. I find it encouraging how many young women are pursuing careers in science.
