Dependent Clauses Adjectival Adverbial Nomial Dependent clauses may

Dependent Clauses: Adjectival, Adverbial, Nomial Dependent clauses may work like adverbs, adjectives, or nouns in complex sentences.

Recognize an adjective clause when you see one. • An adjective clause—also called an adjectival or relative clause—will meet three requirements: 1. it will contain a subject and verb. 2. it will begin with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that, or which] or a relative adverb[when, where, or why]. 3. it will function as an adjective, answering the questions What kind? How many? or Which one?

Adjective Clauses • Adjective clauses modify nouns or pronouns. • An adjective clause nearly always appears immediately following the noun or pronoun. • To test for adjective clauses ask: – Which one? What kind? How many?

Examples • Diane felt manipulated by her beagle Santana, whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie. — Whose = relative pronoun; eyes = subject; pleaded = verb. • Chewing with her mouth open is one reason why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie. — Why = relative adverb; Fred = subject; can stand = verb [not, an adverb, is not officially part of the verb]. • Growling ferociously, Oreo and Skeeter, Madison's two dogs, competed for the hardboiled egg that bounced across the kitchen floor. – That = relative pronoun functioning as subject; bounced = verb.

Practice- Adj. Clause present or Not? • I bought a car from Merdine, and it turned out to be a lemon. – none • Mr. Mann has small, dark eyes, which peer inquisitively from behind metal-rimmed glasses. – which peer inquisitively from behind metalrimmed glasses

Practice- Adj. Clause ? • I have lost my wedding ring, which is worth at least ten dollars. – which is worth at least ten dollars • People who smoke cigarettes should be considerate of nonsmokers. – who smoke cigarettes

Adverb Clauses

Recognize an adverb clause when you see one. An adverb clause will meet three requirements: 1. it will contain a subject and verb. 2. You will also find a subordinate conjunction that keeps the clause from expressing a complete thought. 3. you will notice that the clause answers one of these adverb questions: How? When? Where? To what degree? or Why?

• • • Common • subordinating conjunctions: as far as • even though after in order (that) unless although insofar as until as in that when • • whenever • • as soon as • • no matter how • • where • • as if • • now that • • wherever • • as though • • once whether • supposing (that) • how • than • if • that • though • in case (that) • till because provided (that) while before since why even if so that

Examples • Tommy scrubbed the bathroom tile until his arms ached. – How did Tommy scrub? Until his arms ached, an adverb clause. • Josephine's three cats bolted from the driveway once they saw her car turn the corner. – When did the cats bolt? Once they saw her car turn the corner, an adverb clause. • After her appointment at the orthodontist, Danielle cooked eggs for dinner because she could easily chew an omelet. – Why did Danielle cook eggs? Because she could easily chew an omelet, an adverb clause.

Practice • • If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. – If you don't know where you are going, Memory is deceptive because it is colored by today's events. – because it is colored by today's events. You have to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince. – before you find a handsome prince. As soon as you forbid something, you make it extraordinarily appealing. – As soon as you forbid something,

Noun Clauses

Noun or Nomial Clause • A noun clause is a clause that plays the role of a noun. For example (noun clauses shaded): – I like what I see. – I know that the tide is turning. • Compare the examples above to these: – I like cakes. – I know London.

Examples of Noun Clauses • That he believes his own story is remarkable. (Jerome Blattner) – • My one regret in life is that I am not someone else. (Woody Allen) – • (This noun clause is the subject of the sentence. Be aware that starting a sentence with a noun clause starting That is acceptable, but it grates on lots of people's ears. As a result, many writers prefer to precede it with "The fact…". ) (This noun clause is a subject complement. ) Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he's buying. (Fran Lebowitz) – (This noun clause is the direct object of ask. )

How do noun clauses differ from other dependent clauses? • Other dependent clauses act as adjectives and adverbs. We can remove them and still have a complete independent clause left, with a subject and verb and any necessary complements. • That is not the case with most noun clauses. A clause acting as an indirect object or an appositive may be removable, but other types of noun clauses are too essential to the sentence to be removed. Consider these examples: – Whether you drive or fly is up to you. – I wondered if you would like to go to the barbecue. – Sandy led us to where she had last seen the canoe. • If we remove these noun clauses, what is left will not make much sense: – is up to you – I wondered – Sandy led us to

Appositives • An appositive is a noun, pronoun, or nominal (a word or word group acting as a noun) that is placed next to a noun to explain it. • For example, in the following sentence, the noun phrase the mayor of Riverton is an appositive explaining who John Allen is: – John Allen, the mayor of Riverton, is speaking tonight. • Noun clauses are nominals and can act as appositives. In that case, they may require commas if they are not essential to the meaning of the sentence: – I did not believe his original statement, that he had won the lottery, until he proved it to us.

Practice 1. The old man knew where the treasure was kept. • where the treasure was kept. 2. I'll never forget what happened on our way to the carnival. • what happened on our way to the carnival 3. I knew that the safe was behind the picture. • that the safe was behind the picture. 4. What happened on June 30, 1973, will never be forgotten in our town. • What happened on June 30, 1973