English with Lucy: Grammar Lesson on Clauses

Introduction

• Today's lesson focuses on clauses
• Importance of understanding clauses in English
• Free PDF available with lesson notes and exercises

What is a Clause?

• Definition: A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb
• Must have meaning on its own (can stand as a sentence)
• Simple sentence: Can consist of one clause
• Example: "The dog runs" (Subject: The dog, Verb: runs)

Types of Clauses

1. Independent Clause (Main Clause)

   • Can stand alone as a sentence
   • Examples:
     • "Erica reads"
     • "They play"
     • "We sit"

2. Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause)

   • Cannot stand alone, adds information to a main clause
   • Introduced by conjunctions (before, because, if, etc.)
   • Structure: Conjunction + Subject + Verb
   • Examples:
     • "Before she goes to sleep"
     • "We ate, but it fell"
   • Combination example: "Erica reads before she goes to sleep"

Types of Dependent Clauses

1. Noun Clauses

• Acts as a noun in a sentence
• Often starts with: that, how, who, what, where, when, why
• Test: Replace with a pronoun
• Examples:
  • "She knew how it broke"
  • "We saw where they went"

2. Adverb Clauses

• Acts as an adverb in a sentence
• Qualifies verbs, adjectives, clauses, or other adverbs
• Answers: when, where, why, how, by how much
  • Often starts with subordinating conjunctions: after, because, since, etc.
• Examples:
  • "If you pay for the snacks, I'll get the pizza."
  • "Because she was early, Paula had to help set up."

3. Adjective Clauses

• Acts as an adjective, providing more information about a noun/pronoun
• Typically follows the noun directly
• Often uses: that, which, whom, whose
• Examples:
  • "Constantine, whose birthday is tomorrow, is going to be late."
  • "Mum's hometown, which we're going to visit in spring, is very far away."

4. Coordinate Clauses

• Consists of two or more independent clauses
• Joined by coordinate conjunctions: and, but, or, etc.
• Forms compound sentences
• Example: "She's travelling by train, but she prefers to travel by car."

Conclusion

• Recap of clause types
• Encouragement to complete exercises in the PDF
• Reminder to access free resources and practice tools available through Lucy's channels

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