Introduction
Intro (English): Clauses are the building blocks of sentences. Understanding independent and dependent clauses — noun, adjective (relative), and adverbial — plus punctuation and joining techniques will make you write and answer exam questions with precision. This page gives theorem-like rules, diagrams, 8 worked examples, practice questions, and Marathi explanations to lock the chapter in memory for life.
Definition & Core Theorem
Definition: A clause contains a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent (subordinate) clause cannot and functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
Clause theorem: Any complex sentence is a tree of clauses — independent root(s) branching into dependent clauses; meaning is preserved by correct connectors (coordinators, subordinators, relative pronouns) and punctuation. Visualising clause trees helps in parsing and error detection.
Types of Clauses (with examples)
1. Independent Clauses
Can stand alone: "She arrived early." Can join with coordinating conjunctions: "She arrived early, and he stayed late."
2. Noun Clauses
Function as noun: "What she said surprised me." (subject) "I know that he left." (object). Common introducers: that, whether, wh-words.
3. Adjective / Relative Clauses
Modify nouns: "The book that you gave me is excellent." Introducers: who, whom, whose, which, that. Distinguish restrictive (no commas) vs non-restrictive (commas required).
4. Adverbial Clauses
Show time, reason, condition, concession, purpose, manner: "When the bell rang, class ended." (time) "Because he studied, he passed." (reason) Introducers: when, because, if, although, as, while.
5. Comparative & Conditional Clauses
Comparative: "She is taller than I am." Conditional (real/unreal): "If I had known, I would have helped."
Punctuation & Joining Rules
- Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) join independent clauses; use comma before the conjunction when clauses are independent.
- Begin dependent clause with subordinators — comma required if dependent clause comes first: "Although it rained, we went out."
- Relative clauses: use commas for non-restrictive clauses ("My brother, who lives in Pune, is visiting") but not for restrictive ones ("Students who study pass").
Diagrams — Replace with inline SVGs
Useful SVGs: clause tree (root independent clause with dependent branches), timeline for adverbial clauses (before/after), restrictive vs non-restrictive visual. Paste inline SVG markup to replace placeholders for crisp diagrams.
Solved Examples (8 step-by-step)
- Example 1: Identify clauses: "Although she was tired, she finished her work and went to bed."
Solution: Dependent adverbial clause: "Although she was tired"; two independent clauses joined by 'and': "she finished her work" and "went to bed."उपाय: अवलंबून clause नंतर दोन स्वतंत्र clauses जोडलेले आहेत. - Example 2: Restrictive vs non-restrictive: "My sister who is a doctor lives abroad."
Solution: If speaker has one sister who is a doctor, use commas: "My sister, who is a doctor, lives abroad." Without commas implies multiple sisters and identifies which one.उपाय: commas ने non-restrictive दाखवतो. - Example 3: Noun clause as object: "I wonder whether he will come."
Solution: "whether he will come" functions as object of 'wonder'.उपाय: noun clause हे object म्हणून काम करते. - Example 4: Conditional inversion: "Had I known, I would have acted." Explain structure.
Solution: 'Had I known' = inversion of 'If I had known' used for formal conditional.उपाय: inversion conditional मध्ये 'had' आधी येते. - Example 5: Relative pronoun case: "The woman whom I met is a lawyer."
Solution: 'whom' is object of 'met'. 'Who' as subject.उपाय: object साठी 'whom' वापरा (formal contexts). - Example 6: Combine clauses: "He was late. He missed the bus." → ?
Solution: Join with subordinating clause: "Because he was late, he missed the bus." or coordinate: "He was late, so he missed the bus."उपाय: कारण दाखवण्यासाठी subordinating conjunction वापरा. - Example 7: Adverbial clause of time: "After the show ended, the audience left." Explain placement and comma rule.
Solution: Dependent time clause comes first, so comma after it.उपाय: dependent clause आधी असल्यास comma वापरा. - Example 8: Noun clause subject: "What she did surprised everyone." Explain subject role.
Solution: Entire noun clause 'What she did' is subject of sentence.उपाय: noun clause पूर्णपणे subject म्हणून काम करते.
Practice Questions (+ Summary Table & Answer Key)
30 minutes practice: clause identification, combining sentences, punctuation for relative clauses, and noun clause transformations.
Summary Table (Quick reference)
| Topic | Rule / Quick tip |
|---|---|
| Independent clause | Can stand alone; joins with FANBOYS + comma when two independents |
| Noun clause | Functions as subject/object/complement; introduced by that, whether, wh-words |
| Relative clause | who/whom/whose/which/that — commas for non-restrictive |
| Adverbial clause | Time, reason, condition, concession — comma if clause first |
| Combining | Use subordinators to show relationships and avoid comma splices |
Answer Key
- Q1: 'If you study hard' = adverbial (condition); 'you will pass the exam' = independent.
- Q2: "My uncle, who is a teacher, lives nearby." (non-restrictive with comma if single uncle)
- Q3: "Because he was late, he missed the bus."
- Q4: 'What he wants' is a noun clause acting as subject.
- Q5: "The man whose car was stolen reported to police." ('whose' indicates possession)
- Q6: Second conditional (hypothetical present): 'If I were you...'
- Q7: Remove comma: "She said that she would come." (no comma before noun clause)
- Q8: Use 'who' not 'which': "Students who study hard pass exams."
Exam-focused Tips & SEO Strategy
For exams, master clause identification quickly, practise punctuation (especially relative clauses), and convert simple sentences into complex forms. Use long-tail keywords naturally (e.g., "clauses notes for SSC"), and keep title/meta unique to rsetu.link. JSON-LD included for improved SERP snippets.
Classroom Example (English + Marathi)
English (teacher explains): "Draw a clause tree on the board: independent clause as trunk and dependent clauses as branches. Practice by cutting sentences into clauses and labelling type and connector."
Resources & Next steps
Paste inline SVGs for clause trees and restrictive/non-restrictive visuals and I'll embed them. I can add 8 more advanced solved examples, produce printable worksheets, or run keyword research to broaden long-tail keywords for better ranking on rsetu.link.