Author Information
English 005 - What Is A Clause?
Folder:
English For Poets .
Clauses
.
What is a clause? They have names, very complexed and confusing names like independent clause and subordinate clause. But for practical use and an easy understanding, how they work in a sentence is more important than their names. The names are complicated and distracting and full of terms for which most writers have little interest. English scholars are pulling their hair out at this point, but it is usage (how a part of speech is used) that concerns the writer. English Majors and scholars can address names of clauses, but for us, a clause is a clause.
.
A sentence can be simple: She is awake. Or, it can be bigger: Before the sun comes up, she is awake. The main sentence: She is awake is still in there being the SUBJECT of the sentence, the main idea, the group of words that every other part of the sentence bounces off or gives more meaning. The PERSON, PLACE or THING that drives the sentence, the main idea of the sentence. Clauses further explain and give details surrounding the subject as the main idea. SHE in -She is awake- is the subject of the sentence.
.
Conjunctions connect (join or conjunct) main ideas with lesser ideas. They connect main ideas with equal ideas. ie., (ie., means for example). She woke up. The sun came up. Simple ideas can be connected with words called CONJUNCTIONS, a very important PART OF SPEECH. They connect clauses. They are easy to identify because they join two clauses (phrases that may or may not have subjects). Some conjunctions are: AND OR YET BUT FOR NOR SO.
.
LESSER IDEAS: He winked. He got slapped. He winked but got slapped. He winked and got slapped. He winked so he got slapped. The lesser ideas conjunctions are underlined - what follows is not a complete sentence.
.
EQUAL IDEAS: The dress is red. The dress is short. The dress is red and the dress is short. The dress is red yet the dress is short. Equal conjunctions pull together two ideas that can stand by themselves as sentences.
.
The difference is easy. Lesser idea conjunctions follow the main idea and say something about the main idea that makes it bigger. He is tall but not shy about it. He is tall - main clause. not shy about it - is a clause, not a complete sentence (it has no subject or verb). The subject is in the main sentence or idea: HE.
.
Also right is putting the lesser idea in front of the suject: i.e., Not shy about it, he is tall. Notice the comma. It has to be there.
.
Equal ideas, with a conjunction between, them state two main ideas. i.e., He is tall and he can see further than most people. Two main ideas put together are equal ideas. He is tall. He can see further than most people. Both parts (clauses) on either side of the conjunction are complete sentences. I know, crazy. It is easier to keep them apart to avoid confusion, right. Wrong. Words have power and when conjuncted, they have greater power. Weak sentences and phrases have no place in good writing - strong syntax (the way or order you use to put sentences/prhases/clauses together) is so very important. It takes practice. It requires stepping out of old habits of saying things simply. You know what I am talking about. Once you cross this bridge, there is no going back. Strong is the goal in writing.
.
Using clauses make the sentence or phrase in poetry more interesting. SUBJECT-VERB-OBJECT (PREDICATE) as in She ran fast, gets boring. She is the subject, ran is the verb, fat is the predicate). That is the point where many new writers of English and poetry get frustrated or get stuck. Clauses give you a way to build in more information without being boring or using the same structure of the sentence all the time. ie., She fell during the race, but got up and ran faster, winning the race. NOTE: BUT GOT UP AND RAN FASTER is not a sentence. WINNING THE RACE is not a sentence. These CLAUSES only work in a sentence if the words SHE FELL completes them. The SUBJECT AND VERB. She is the subject. Fell is the verb. , THE PREDICATE OR OBJECT OF THE SUBJECT says something about the subject and incldes the verb fell during the race. (Please note that clauses are objects (predicates) that say something about the main idea. You must have all three parts to BE A COMPLETE SENTENCE. If the subject, verb, or predicate (that includes the ver) are missing, it's A CLAUSE. (English teachers call them fragments but never explain that a conjunction solves the problem.) Sentences are also fragments if they are missing either the subject, the verb, or the object (predicate). Look up the word predicate - I did. It is intersting. Predicated on/upon is the best way to see this enormous concept or idea. De-mystifying words and terms is why I am doing this in long-winded explanations.
.
SUBJECT, VERB, OBJECT (PREDICATE).
.
-She fell during the race.- is the main sentence. What you add in front or after the main sentence, the simple sentence, are clauses that add more action and information about the main sentence...the main idea...the subject of the sentence. SHE FELL is the subject and the verb. FELL DURING THE RACE is the predicate.
.
i.e, Eventhough she fell during the race, she got up and ran faster, winning first place. Notice that the suject or main idea that drives the sentence is not at the beginning. I know, this is pull your hair out time. Why can't it just be at the front of the sentence where it belongs? Answer: variety, different way of saying, expanding a vocabulary of even simple words to be more interesting (or in poetry to help you meet the requirements of rhythm that you want in any part of the writing). Clauses connected by conjunctions give you more choices that add sound, beat as tempo, smoothness to choppy phrases. You now have more sounds to use, more action, more color, more qualities and more devices to add to your work. EVENTHOUGH is the conjunction. Most terms in English can be put in different places in a sentence. That is why it is hard to make sentences that are complete and effective. Keep it simple is the rule. Verbs never end a sentence. Articles (A, And, and The) never end a sentence.
.
Remember, it is perfectly correct to use phrases in poetry (without subject/verb/predicate). One word sentences are fine. He. They. Or you can use a few words like: -Gone again.- -Made, sold, bought.- No subject - are fine in poetry. In fact, that is one of the things that separates poetry from prose. We defy grammar to make a feeling more important. The subject of a poem is stated in the title - if you did not know. However, dropping a few clues about the subject is still a good idea in a poem. Without a subject, the poetryis "personal" and only the author understands the meaning of the verse. If you want other readers to know what you are talking about, you have to tell them. Usually at the beginning of the poem as in the first line that is the main idea, the rest is poetic expressing and emoting about the subject or main idea. Repeating the main idea if the poem is long helps to unify or bind the work into a whole, a oneness. (I had to go there, didn't I?) - :D
.
Why is it important to use clauses? Poets ask how is style developed and how do you create unique way of saying what is common or simple (spoken English is usually simple). How you work up your clauses using your largest possible vocabulary is a part of the answer to how to add your personal (mental, ideation, conceptualized, or knowledgable) style to anything you write.
.
NOTE: Other parts of speech also say what you mean in a special or unique way. But for now, here are more CONJUNCTIONS that connect (conjunct) CLAUSES with which to experiment.
AFTER, BEFORE, IN ORDER THAT, SINCE, THOUGH, ALTHOUGH, EVEN IF, ONCE, SO THAT, UNLESS, AS, EVEN THOUGH, PROVIDED THAT, THAN, BECAUSE, IF, UNTIL, WHEN, WHENEVER, WHERE, WHEREAS, WHEREVER, WHETHER, WHILE, & WHY - for connecting (conjuncting) lesser ideas.
.
THAT, WHO, WHOSE, WHICH, WHOEVER, WHOSOEVER, WHICHEVER, WHOM, WHOMEVER connect (conjunct) lesser ideas when PEOPLE OR A PERSON is the subject in the main idea.
.
Please be aware that this is overly simple to explain what CONJUNCTION are and how CLAUSES are used with them. Now you can incorporate them in your poetry and begin to expand your way of creating sentences and phrases. More is better. More allows you to take what is in your mind, your idea, your thoughts, and writing them better, more clearly, easily, or with complexity as you chose. Writing is about making choices, by the way. What words and phrases and clauses and sentences you choose say a lot about how you think of ideas, yourself, the world, other people, things, etc (etcetera which means and so on).
.
Suggested exercise: Write a series of poems using as many conjuntions as you can squeeze into them, to help you remember them, but also to use them and get into the habit of using them, or not. (I threw in a little CONJUNCTION ",but..." at the end to emphasize that it is your choice!) For the prose writer, experiment with clauses and conjunctions to vary your sentence creation, add detail, and color, sound, textures, feelings, important information about the topic, the character(s), the scene, the weather; the large and small details.
.
I wish you better writing :D
.
HERE ENDETH THE LESSON
Lady A
