Advanced Sentence Structure

Clauses

• A subject and a predicate by themselves make an independent clause.

• Sentences can contain more than one clause, and more than one type of clause.

Clause types

• Other types of clauses: dependent, relative

• Dependent clauses contain subordinate conjunctions

• Relative clauses contain relative pronouns.

Dependent clauses• When I woke up this morning, it

was raining. • Dependent clauses include a subject

and predicate just like an independent clause; however, they begin with a subordinate conjunction, which makes them an incomplete thought.

Subordinate Conjunctions

• Indicate conditions, such as “because,” “if,” “although,” “in,” etc.

• At the beginning of dependent (sometimes called subordinate) clauses.

Examples,• Although I gave my cat flea

medicine, he still scratches himself. • When I get tired, I just drink some

coffee.

Comma Usage

• Note that when we begin a sentence with a dependent clause, we separate the dependent and independent clauses with a comma.

Dependent Clause Practice

• Try writing a sentence that contains a dependent and independent clause.

Relative Clauses

• “The scarf that I’m wearing today is itchy.”

• Used to describe nouns• Start with “which,” “that,” or “who.”• Two types: restrictive and non-

restrictive.

Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses

• Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses give extra information about the noun they are describing.

• Because they can be taken out of the sentence without affecting the meaning of the sentence, they are placed in commas.

• Example: “My cat, who is black, is named Loki.”

Restrictive Relative Clauses

• Restrictive relative clauses give detailed information necessary to the sentence.

• In this case, we do not use commas to separate this type of relative clause from the rest of the sentence.

• Example: “Where is the blue binder that I placed here yesterday?”

When to use Which, That, or Who

• When referring to a person, always use “who.”

• When referring to an object in a non-restrictive clause, use “which.”

• When referring to an object in a restrictive clause, use “that.”

Relative Clause Practice

• Try writing a sentence with a relative clause.

Compound Sentences

• “I wanted some ice cream, so I got some at the store.”

• Two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction and a comma make up a compound sentence.

Coordinating what now?• Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS– For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So– Used to combine two independent clauses with

a comma.

Examples• I wanted to leave, but my cat

wanted me to stay at home.• She went to the store, and then she

went to see a movie.

Conjunction Practice

• Try writing two independent sentences and combining them with a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Semicolons• “You cannot eat that; it is mine!”• Another way to combine two

sentences is with semicolons.• When using semicolons, we do not

need to use a coordinating conjunction.

Examples• I like cats; he likes dogs. • I went to the store; afterward, I went

home.

Conjunctive Adverbs• Some words begin independent clauses

by themselves as connectors. These words include “however,” “nonetheless,” and “furthermore.”

• These words are called “Conjunctive Adverbs.”

• We also place a comma behind these words.

• These are often used behind semicolons.

Examples

• I do not like spiders; however, I am very fond of bats.

• Susan has a demanding job. Furthermore, she's taking two difficultcollege classes.

Semicolon practice

• Write two independent clauses and combine them with a semicolon. You may want to use a conjunctive adverb to combine them.

Putting it All Together

• When I went to his house, I knocked on the door, but no one was home.

• My friend, who is older than me, has already graduated; however, she still lives nearby.

Putting it All Together

• When I arrived at his house, the dog, who belonged to my friend Brandon, barked at me, and I smiled and pet it; however, I was not prepared for how sticky his spit was when he started licking my face!

Now you try! • Create a sentence that contains at least

three of the following: – An independent clause– A dependent clause– A relative clause– A semicolon– A conjunctive adverb– A comma and a coordinating conjunction