Jim Roth’s Website

 

CLAUSES and SENTENCING MADE EASY

 

Writing sentences you can trust isn’t that difficult if you master a few basics:

 

  • You need to be able to identify two types of clauses.
  • You need to know at all times which of these two clauses you are writing.
  • You need to learn three basic sentence patterns.
  • You need to know how to use three groups of words.

 

CLAUSES:

 

A clause is a group of words that has both a verb and a subject. 

 

The verb is usually an action word like run, jump, and write, but words such as am, is, are, was, and were are also verbs.

 

The subject is whoever or whatever does the verb (controls the verb) of the sentence.

 

Something simple such as Birds fly is a clause because it meets these two requirements.  Check it out:  Is there a verb in Birds fly? Yes-- fly.  Is there a subject (a word that does or controls the verb)?  Yes, again--Birds.  So Birds fly is a clause.  One final note on subjects: words such as I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are often subjects.  Don’t overlook them.

 

An independent clause can be a complete, wonderful, correct sentence if you choose to punctuate it that way.  This kind of clause is called independent because it is “independent” of needing any other words or clauses to make it complete.  In other words, all by itself it works fine as a sentence.  For example, Birds fly is an independent clause because it has a subject (Birds), a verb (fly), and it states a fact (it doesn’t leave any huge thought gap, hole, or condition for the reader to wonder about).  You can punctuate this to be a sentence by capitalizing the “B” in birds and putting a period after fly.

 

Rather than being complete by itself, a dependent clause is a piece of a larger thought.  If you punctuate a dependent clause as a complete sentence, you will have written a sentence fragment, a writing error to be avoided, at least at first.  When you begin a clause with words from the Dependent Word List, you automatically create a dependent clause.  Be careful--if you put a period at the end of this clause, you will create a fragment. 

 

Consider Because birds fly.  See what the word Because does?  It makes what was a complete idea incomplete by creating a thought gap, hole, or condition that isn’t fulfilled before the period.  If I write Because birds fly with a capital “B” on because and a period after fly, I have written a sentence fragment.  In other words, I punctuated a piece or fragment of a sentence as if it were a complete sentence.  That’s a no-no.

 

 

 

We can fix this sentence fragment by adding the information that is missing.

 

Consider Because birds fly, Dirk always wears a hat.

 

Notice that we added an independent clause, Dirk always wears a hat, to fill the thought gap that the word because created.  We end up with a sentence made of both kinds of clauses, one dependent and one independent.

 

Below is a partial list of Dependent words such as because. 

 

Because                       If                                 Since                            Even though

Although                      As                                Before                         After

When                           Whenever                    While                           Even if

 

There are more members of this list, but these are the most common.  (Check out the complete list of Dependent Words on The Lists Attachment to this handout.)  Remember, when you begin a clause with one of these dependent words, you will write a sentence fragment if you put a period at the end of the clause.

 

 Try writing a few sentence fragments by completing the clauses below:

 

! Example:  Because Ralph went home early.

 

            Even though Bob _____________________.

 

            If Sylvia ____________________________.

 

            Although cats and dogs ________________.

 

Now correct and complete each of the above sentence fragments by adding an independent clause.

 

!   Example:  Because Ralph went home early, he could watch the ballgame.

 

Even though Bob _____________________, _____________________________.

 

            If Sylvia ____________________________, _____________________________.

 

            Although cats and dogs ________________, _____________________________.

 

ÑRemember—there are two kinds of clauses—independent and dependent.  The independent clause can be a correct sentence by itself.  The dependent clause, if left by itself, becomes a sentence fragment. 

 

ÑFinally, remember that at all times while you are writing, you must know which of the two kinds of clauses you are creating.

 

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Let’s move on for now and look at our three sentence patterns.

 

  • Pattern #1:  SIMPLE SENTENCE.  A sentence made from only one independent clause is called a Simple Sentence.

 

Consider I walked Zelda home every day after school.

 

I have a verb walked and a subject I, so I have a clause.  Since I did not begin with a dependent word, I can be fairly sure I have an independent clause and, therefore, a legal sentence.  The rest of the words in the sentence add information, but the core of the sentence is I walked. 

 

(Note: The words Zelda home every day after school add information, but they contain no more pairs of subjects and verbs; therefore, they do not contain another clause.

 

  • Pattern #2:  COMPLEX SENTENCE.  A sentence made from both kinds of clauses is called a Complex Sentence. 

 

Consider After Dirk shot the moose, the warden shot Dirk.

 

Note that after begins the dependent clause and the warden begins the independent clause.  You can reverse the order of these clauses and still have a complex sentence:

 

Here it is:  The warden shot Dirk after Dirk shot the moose.

 

Ñ Punctuation Note:  If you begin a complex sentence with the independent clause, you do not need a comma to mark where the dependent clause begins.

 

Try to understand these formulas:

 

Complex Sentences:

 

Independent Clause plus Dependent Clause              I.C. + D.C.

Dependent Clause plus a comma plus an Independent Clause   D.C. , + I.C.

 

Both are complex sentences.

 

Try this:  First, write two complex sentences with the independent clause first.

 

! Example:  The car skidded to a stop before it hit the truck.

 

1. _______________________________________________________________

 

2. _______________________________________________________________

 

Now try this:  Write two complex sentences with the dependent clause first.

 

! Example:  Even though English was difficult before, I find it easier now.

 

1. _______________________________________________________________

 

2. _______________________________________________________________

 

 

  •  Pattern #3:  COMPOUND SENTENCE.  Two independent clauses joined properly make a Compound Sentence.

 

Consider I asked Zelda to marry me, but she said no.

 

Here we have two independent clauses hooked together with a comma and the word but.  The word but is a member of a group of words called fanboys.  The other members of this group are for, and, nor, or, yet, and so.

 

These seven words (the fanboys) become coordinating conjunctions when they join two independent clauses. (Note: these seven words are coordinating conjunctions only when they are used to join two independent clauses.  At other times they are simple conjunctions and follow other rules.

 

In other words, to be coordinating conjunctions, (to really function as fanboys) they must have an independent clause on each side.

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So what’s a comma splice error? A comma splice error is joining two independent clauses with only a comma.

 

And how about a run-on sentence error? A run-on sentence error is joining two independent clauses with no punctuation at all--it's just a space. The second sentence just runs on after the first--hence, "run-on."

Let's consider the structure "The asteroid was heading toward our moon, the collision was going to be gigantic."

Since we're using only a comma by itself (without a fanboys) followed by a second independent clause, so it's a comma splice error).

Now please study the structure "The asteroid was heading toward our moon the collision was going to be gigantic."

 Here we don't even have a comma--just a blank followed by the second independent clause running on, so it's a run-on sentence error.

We're on a roll, so let's keep going!

Consider I asked Zelda to marry me, she said no.

 

This is INCORRECT.  A coordinating conjunction or fanboys is needed after the comma to create a legal joint between the independent clauses.

 

Now consider I asked Zelda to marry me she said no.

 

This is also INCORRECT.  A comma plus a coordinating conjunction or fanboys is needed to create a legal joint between the independent clauses.

 

 

Study the following formulas:

 

D Incorrect:

Independent clause + comma + independent clause = COMMA SPLICE ERROR

 

D We were tired, we went home.

 

 

C Correct:

Independent clause + comma + coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) + independent clause = CORRECT SENTENCE

 

C We were tired, so we went home.

 

 Want some more info on compound sentences? 

 

Ñ You can use a semicolon to join the independent clauses that create the compound sentence.

        That’s right—a semicolon ;.  Simply put the semicolon in place of the comma and fanboys. 

 

What are the rules for semicolon use?  A semicolon joins independent clauses and the ideas in those clauses have to relate.

 

Consider I asked Zelda to marry me, but she said no.

 

Just like before:  two independent clauses joined with a comma and a fanboys.

 

Now consider I asked Zelda to marry me; she said no.

 

Note that the semicolon has replaced the “, but.”

 

Either is correct; both are compound sentences.

 

If the semicolon by itself is just too plain for your tastes, you can always add a transitional word after it to spice things up a bit. 

 

How about this: Zelda refused to marry me; therefore, I signed up for the mars mission.

 

The therefore is not necessary for the semicolon to legally join the two independent clauses; however, the word thereforer does lead nicely into the next independent clause.

 

For a list of these optional transitional words, check out the The Lists attachment.

 

Some final practice:

 

First, write two compound sentences using a comma and fanboys to join the independent clauses.

 

! Example:  I love walking, and I love running even more.

 

1. _____________________________________________________________________

 

2. _____________________________________________________________________

 

Now how about two compound sentences using a semicolon to join the independent clauses:

 

! Example:  Jammie loves tacos; she eats at Taco Loco every afternoon.

 

1. _____________________________________________________________________

 

2. _____________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

That’s all there is to clauses and sentencing.  The key is PRACTICE—as you read and write, study sentence structure.  Become a student of it.  Try to spot and then identify clauses whenever you work with language.   This effort creates a sensitivity to structure that will quickly spill into your writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE LISTS

 

DEPENDENT WORDS

 

after                                         if, even if                                 when, whenever

although, though                      in order that                             where, wherever

as                                             since                                        whether

because                                   that, so that                              which, whichever

before                                      unless                                      while

even though                             until                                         who, whoever

how                                         what, whatever                                    whose

 

 

 

 

 

FANBOYS

 

for             and                        nor                     but                 or                     yet                      so

 

 

 

 

 

TRANSITIONAL WORDS

 

however                                  nevertheless                             on the other hand

instead                                     meanwhile                               otherwise

indeed                                      in addition                               also

moreover                                 furthermore                             then

thus                                          consequently                           therefore