In grammar, a clause is the smallest grammatical unit that can express a complete proposition. A typical clause in English contains minimally a subject and a predicate. In other languages, the subject is often omitted if it is retrievable from context. A simple sentence usually consists of a single finite clause with a finite verb that is independent. More complex sentences may contain multiple clauses. Main clauses (= matrix clauses, independent clauses) are those that could stand as a sentence by themselves. Subordinate clauses (= embedded clauses, dependent clauses) are those that would be awkward or nonsensical if used alone.
Read more about Clause: Two Major Distinctions, Clauses According To A Distinctive Syntactic Trait, Clauses According To Semantic Predicate-argument Function, Representing Clauses, Clauses Vs. Phrases, Non-finite Clauses
Famous quotes containing the word clause:
“Long ago I added to the true old adage of “What is everybody’s business is nobody’s business,” another clause which, I think, more than any other principle has served to influence my actions in life. That is, What is nobody’s business is my business.”
—Clara Barton (1821–1912)