📚 Understanding English Clauses: A Complete Guide

By Kesari Sir | ENNglish.in

Why do some sentences feel complete while others feel like something is missing? The answer lies in understanding one of the most essential yet underrated grammar components — the clause.

🔍 What is a Clause?

A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb and expresses a complete or partial idea. A clause may stand alone or depend on another clause to complete its meaning.

Example:
“The dog runs.” – This is a clause. It has a subject ("the dog") and a verb ("runs").

🎯 Types of Clauses in English

There are two major categories of clauses in English grammar:

1️⃣ Independent Clause (Main Clause)

Definition: A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.

Structure: Subject + Verb

Examples:

Erica reads.
They play.
We sit.

2️⃣ Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause)

Definition: A clause that adds information to a sentence but cannot stand alone.

Introduction: Usually starts with conjunctions like because, if, before, although.

Structure: Conjunction + Subject + Verb

Examples:

before she goes to sleep
because it was raining

Complete Sentence Example:
Erica reads before she goes to sleep.
Here, "Erica reads" = Independent Clause, "before she goes to sleep" = Dependent Clause.

🔬 Types of Dependent Clauses

Dependent clauses can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence.

📌 A. Noun Clause

Definition: A clause that acts as a noun.

Starters: that, how, who, what, where, when, why

Test: Replace it with a pronoun (e.g., it, him, her)

Examples:

She knew how it broke. (Replaceable: She knew it.)
We saw where they went. (Replaceable: We saw them.)

📌 B. Adverb Clause

Definition: A clause that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Answers: when, where, why, how, to what extent

Starters: After, although, because, if, since, when, while, etc.

Examples:

If you pay for the snacks, I'll get the pizza.
Because she was early, Paula had to help set up.

Note: Adverb clauses can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.

📌 C. Adjective Clause (Relative Clause)

Definition: A clause that describes a noun or pronoun in the main sentence.

Position: Comes immediately after the noun it describes.

Starters: that, which, who, whom, whose

Examples:

Constantine, whose birthday is tomorrow, is going to be late.
Mom’s hometown, which we are going to visit in spring, is very far away.

Tip: Even if you remove the adjective clause, the sentence still makes sense.

🔗 Coordinate Clauses: Linking Main Clauses

Definition: When two or more independent clauses are joined using coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so, yet, nor, for).

Purpose: To create compound sentences that show equal importance.

Example: She’s travelling by train, but she prefers to travel by car.

Here, both “She’s travelling by train” and “She prefers to travel by car” are independent clauses joined by "but".

🧠 Summary Chart – Clause Types at a Glance

Clause Type	Acts As	Starts With	Example
Independent	Complete Sentence	Subject + Verb	They played.
Dependent - Noun	Noun	that, how, what, why, etc.	I know what she said.
Dependent - Adverb	Adverb	because, if, when, while, etc.	If you study, you will pass.
Dependent - Adjective	Adjective	who, which, that, whose	The girl who won is my friend.
Coordinate Clause	Two Main Clauses	and, but, or, so	She works hard, but he relaxes.

📢 Final Takeaway by Kesari Sir

Understanding clauses helps you build smarter, more flexible sentences. Whether you're writing an essay or chatting in English, knowing how clauses work will give your English more power and precision.

Want this lesson in Marathi or PDF format for classroom use? Contact ENNglish.in or request below!

“Clauses are the bricks of language — master them, and you can build anything.” – Kesari Sir