Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Think if a message you want to pout across. Without the subject and predicate in an independent
thought group or unit, your sentence will not express the full meaning of your message. The
thought in your statement is incomplete. The word “thoughts” in this book refers to the meaning
of your message.
1. Subject
2. Predicate
3. Independent thought
Sometimes even if you have subject and predicate, thoughts are still incomplete. It’s because
when an idea is subordinate it can not stand alone as a compete thought. An idea must be
independent, that is, its meaning should not depend upon some elements in the sentence.
Example:
1. Lorenz wanted very much to go to the concert even though she had no one to go with.
2. Andrew has to give up the company car because he resigned.
1. There are two ideas in each of the two sentences. These two ideas are not equal in
importance. One is subordinate; the other is the main idea. The subordinate idea cannot
stand alone as a complete thought unit; the main idea has a complete thought, it can stand
alone. Let us call the part that cannot stand alone even though it has subject and predicate
– the subordinate clause, and the part that can stand alone as the main clause.
2. Although clauses have subject and predicate, they may or may not have a complete
thought.
3. Clauses that have complete thought cannot stand alone. Since they can stand alone, they
are called INDEPENDENT CLAUSES. They can be called sentence. And since they
contain the main idea, they are also called MAIN CLAUSES. Main clauses are not
introduced by subordinating conjunctions.
4. Clauses that have incomplete thought cannot stand alone because they are called
DEPENDENT CLAUSES, and since their ideas are subordinate, they are also called
SUBORDINATE CLAUSES.
A. INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
An independent clause can stand by itself as a complete sentence. It is used in three
different ways.
STANDING ALONE (When it stands alone, it is equivalent to a complete
sentence.) Example: The coconut tree is one of the most important nature’s gift to
the Philippine islands.
WITH ANOTHER INDEPENDENT CLAUSE. (A compound sentence is
produced) Example. The coconut tree is useful in many ways, so it is considered
one of the most important nature’s gift to the island.
WITH A SUBORDINATE CLAUSE/DEPENDENT (A complex sentence is
produced). Example: The coconut tree, which is often mentioned in Philippine
myths and legend, is on one of the most important nature’s gifts to the island.
TASK 11
Directions: See if all the clauses in the following paragraph are all independent clauses.
Comment.
The Chinese
Without doubt, China’s greatest and most precious resource is its people. The Chines5e
people may either be a political or a racial concept. In this sensem Manchurians, Mongols, Turks
of Sinkiang, Tibetans, mountain tribesmen and desert nomads living within the Chinese land are
included as Chinese people. They already numbers 100,000,000 when the first European colonies
were established in America and had reached 410,000,000 when the first war broke out between
B. DEPENDENT CLAUSE
A dependent clause is also called subordinate clause. A dependent clause, although it has
subject and predicate, cannot stand by itself as a complete sentence. The dependent clause is
there are three kinds of dependent clause. NOUN CLAUSE, ADJECTIVE CLAUSE and
ADVERB CLAUSE.
NOUN CLAUSES
A noun clause functions in the same way as nouns in the sentence. It may act as a
Example:
As Subject
As Direct Object
As Indirect Object
3. Quixote told whoever came closer to him tales of his imaginative adventures.
As Predicate Nominative
2. Her declaration was that she was held hostage but escaped.
As Appositive
2. The spy, who knows many things about the agency, was silenced.
Exercise: Find the subject, object, appositive, predicate nominative in the following sentences.
2. Even on Earth our huge drilling machine, whatever it is called, can only reach down to
3. Geologists thus forced to rely on whichever can approximate the inner structure of a planet.
4. Geologists through seismic waves, observe that the inner structure consists of different
ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
the meaning of your sentence clear. The kind of adjective clause is called an essential
clause, or a restrictive clause. Without the essential adjective clause, the sentence would
1. The one aspect that most Filipino ethnic groups have in common was their observance
of Pagan rituals.
2. Those pagan rituals are often the way they that they reach out to spirits.
In the first example the meaning of the sentence would not make sense without the essential
clause. This particular adjective clause makes clear which aspect is being discussed. It will not
In general, the essential adjective clause restricts the meaning of the noun and helps the reader
An adjective clause that is not needed to make the meaning of a sentence very clear is called a
nonessential or nonrestrictive clause. The info it adds is extra, and the essence woud be perfectly
comprehensible without it
Examples:
1. The Tagbanua of southern coastal Palawan, who are fishermen, give thanks to spirits during
“runsay” festival.
2. In the mountains, where forest resources have depleted, the native Batak of Palawan,
perform rituals to beg the mountain god “Panyaoen” for more tree-blossoms to attract the
ADVERB CLAUSES
An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb, It answers questions when, where, how, why, to what extent, or under what
condition.
may come before or after the main clause. Knowing them will help you improve your
expression.
Examples: The following are some subordinators. Note the semantics relationships that they
express.
1. Time: After, as soon as, as long as, before, every time, once, since, till, when, whenever,
while
3. Manners: as, as if, as though, the way (that), in such a way that
12. Contingency: Limitation/exclusion: forgetting the fact, dismissing the fact, discounting
13. Contingency: Degree: to the degree that, to the extent that, in so far
14. Contingency provision: providing, provided that, as long as, with the promise that
how/where/why
TASK 13
Match the independent clauses (A) with the dependent clause (B) to form a sentence.
7. All the young men were drafted g. yet the husband is so faithful.
12. I was entering the building l. where the road crosses the river.
16. Encode the dates on your cellphone p. the picnic will be postponed.
17. He will commit many errors q. the tourists keep coming.
20. The wife is not too ideal t. admitting the fact that he is not a college graduate.
21. The country is so inviting u. before then, he had worked for many people.
22. It closes down all its leaves v. when the mimosa is disturbed.
24. The visitors move about x. whether or not the guest of honor arrives.
25. I shall give you my e-mail address y. lest you forget it.
TASK 14
Directions: Underline the complete dependent clause and indicate the logical/semantic
relationship expressed by the subordinator. (time, place, purpose, reason, contrast, etc.)
2. The teacher is a competent one in that above all other attributes, he never comes to class
unprepared.
3. Flunkers are denied admission in that school regardless of who their parents are.
4. The university is adopting a socialized tuition fee scheme in order that poor students in the
5. Life style has changed a lot that people eat in such a hurry and get stomach trouble.
6. The developed nations give technical assistance to developing nations to the extent that
these rich nations can dictate the poor countries’ development goals and priorities.
7. As for a farmer who goes to the city, his life is complete despair.
8. Despite the marching and counter marching of dictators, the bloodshed and the turmoil,
9. Even though slavery was outlawed by the constitution of the United Provinces, it has
10. Poverty reduction is the world problem. The World Bank must focus on this issue if it is to
be affective at all.
TASK 15
Directions: Join the following pairs of sentences, changing one of them into a relative clause
Example: The College cooperative board will increase its size. It has five members at present. The
college cooperative board which has five members at present will increase its size.
1. The Cascades are coming to Manila. They have relaxing singing style.
4. Hurricanes are very strong typhoons. They are causing havoc to many states in the
Caribbean.
5. The nimbus clouds are nature’s signs. It is by them we know that rain is coming.
6. A number of students were sent to the World Youth Congress. They represented the
country’s best.
7. Old England castles were usually surrounded by rivers. These served as natural moats.
8. We need to build one nation. No one should see himself as Tagalog, Visaya, Ilocano,
10. The Magsaysay Award went to the saintly nun from India. An effective charitable
TASK 16
Directions: Identify whether the following groups of words are grammatically complete in
thoughts or not. If complete, write S; if not, write N. Punctuation marks are intentionally deleted
1. The peace talk between the Palestinian and Israelite leaders is one of the series of meetings
3. Circulating nurse standing at a distance from the sterile field to adjust light over it to avoid
5. Sterile persons lifting contents from packages by reaching down and lifting them straight
6. After a sterile bottle is opened and replaced without contaminating pouring edges
15. Deceased man who lived in the same town all his life
20. Strangely enough when the moon passes over the face of the sun
NOTE: Subordinate clauses can not stand alone, hence, they are dependent. Sentence can be
c. Antartica’s area size is about 5.5 million square miles. It does not stay the same size in
other seasons.
d. Although Antartica’s size is 5.5 million miles, it does not stay the same size in other
seasons.
FINITE CLAUSES
Always have subject and predicate. They are classified according to the word that
introduces them. Hence, they are the: that- clauses, Wh- Interrogative clauses, relative
clauses, subordinator introduced clause. Note that finite clauses are usually dependent
clauses.
Examples:
1. That nights and days are equal during the equinox is a fact.
3. It is doubtful that our country can get rid of its harmful critics.
NONFINITE CLAUSES are the structures that do not have subject and they are very
Infinitive clause
In general, avoid sentence fragments. Check that each sentence you say or write has sa subject and
a predicate and express a complete thought. Sentence fragments are usually phrases and
capitalized and punctuated as complete sentences. You can correct this error by considering the
fragment’s relation with the sentence that comes before or after it and after deciding on the
Example:
Fragment: At this time of the year, mountain climbing is exciting. And very dangerous.
Correction: At this time of the year, mountain climbing is exciting and very dangerous.
TASK 17
Directions: Indicate in your paper if the numbered sentences of this passage is complete or
incomplete in thoughts.
[1]The Trojan Horse. [2] Is a huge wooden horse, made by Epeius (upon suggestion of
Athena). [3] Within whose hollow bellies were concealed some Grecian warriors. [4] Deceived by
various uses. [5] The Trojans dragged the horse. [6] Through their otherwise impregnable walls.
[7]Deeming it to be an offering to Athena. [8] At night those hidden in the horse emerged. [9] And
opened the gates to their waiting comrades. [10] Who seized and sack the city.