The different clauses:
A clause is a group of words that must contain a subject and a finite verb. Besides the subject and verb which can be a verb phrase, it can also have an object or a complement. The clause can be a simple sentence (independent clause or main clause) or part of a sentence (dependent clause). The dependent clause is also called a subordinate clause.
Examples:
- I miss her.
(Subject: I; verb: miss; direct object: her) - Are you going home?
(Subject: You; verb phrase: are going; complement: home) - She is a fortune-teller.
(Subject: She; linking verb: is; complement: a fortune-teller)
More on the parts that make up a clause
A clause can have two parts or several parts
Two parts: He (subject) has left (verb phrase).
Several parts: Our (possessive determiner) tour guide (subject) showed (verb) us (object) around the old town (prepositional phrase) briefly (adverb) this morning (adverbial phrase).
Some of the parts may be single words or more than single words.
More examples of the different elements that combine to make up a clause are shown in this table. The different elements are subject, verb, indirect object, direct object, complement, and adverbial.
Subject | Verb | Indirect object | Direct object | Complement | Adverbial |
We | walked. | ||||
Some guests | have left. | ||||
The robbers | carried | guns. | |||
Time | passes | very slowly. | |||
They | are playing | outside their house. | |||
Bob | gave | his dog | a biscuit. | ||
The news | made | her | angry. | ||
Jane | met | her boyfriend | at the tennis club. |