English Grammar: Clauses and Sentence Structure

Clause Identification

• A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate.
• Independent clause: a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.
  • Has a subject and a predicate.
  • Expresses a complete thought.
• Dependent clause: a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
  • Has a subject and a predicate, but does not express a complete thought.
  • Begins with a subordinating conjunction (e.g. because, although, if).

Sentence Structure

• Simple sentence: a sentence with only one independent clause.
  • Has a single main idea.
  • Typically follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) word order.
• Compound sentence: a sentence with two or more independent clauses.
  • Joins two or more independent clauses with a conjunction (e.g. and, but, or).
  • Can be separated into individual simple sentences.
• Complex sentence: a sentence with an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
  • Has a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
  • Uses subordinating conjunctions to connect clauses.

Syllables

• A syllable is a unit of sound in a word.
• Syllable division: breaking down a word into its individual syllables.
  • Rules for syllable division:
    • Divide between two vowels (e.g. ba-na-na).
    • Divide before a single consonant between two vowels (e.g. ca-ter).
    • Divide after a consonant cluster (e.g. black-board).
• Syllable types:
  • Monosyllable: a word with one syllable (e.g. cat).
  • Polysyllable: a word with two or more syllables (e.g. banana).
  • Syllable stress: the emphasis on a particular syllable in a word (e.g. em-PHA-sis).

Clause Identification

• A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate, and can be either independent or dependent.
• Independent clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence, have a subject and a predicate, and express a complete thought.
• Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as a complete sentence, have a subject and a predicate, but do not express a complete thought, and begin with a subordinating conjunction (e.g. because, although, if).

Sentence Structure

• Simple sentences have only one independent clause, a single main idea, and typically follow a subject-verb-object (SVO) word order.
• Compound sentences have two or more independent clauses, join two or more independent clauses with a conjunction (e.g. and, but, or), and can be separated into individual simple sentences.
• Complex sentences have an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses, have a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses, and use subordinating conjunctions to connect clauses.

Syllables

• A syllable is a unit of sound in a word.
• Syllable division involves breaking down a word into its individual syllables, following rules such as dividing between two vowels (e.g. ba-na-na), dividing before a single consonant between two vowels (e.g. ca-ter), and dividing after a consonant cluster (e.g. black-board).
• There are three types of syllables: monosyllable (a word with one syllable, e.g. cat), polysyllable (a word with two or more syllables, e.g. banana), and syllable stress (the emphasis on a particular syllable in a word, e.g. em-PHA-sis).

Learn about clauses, including independent and dependent clauses, and their role in sentence structure. Learn how to identify and create sentences with different clauses.