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Unit 4 - Identifying Independent and Subordinate Clauses

The unit’s big question:How will identifying clauses make me a better writer?

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What is a phrase?A phrase is a group of words that acts like a single part of speech.What is a clause?A clause is a group of related words that contains a subject and a verb.What is the subject and verb in this clause?We ate cheese and crackers for dinner.We ate cheese and crackers for dinner.

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What are the subject and verb in each of these two clauses?We ate shrimp until the waiter came with the pizza.We ate shrimp until the waiter came with the pizza.What are the two clauses?We ate shrimp / until the waiter came with the pizza.On page 6 in sentences 27 - 32, circle the subject and put a rectangle around the verb in each clause. Then draw a slash mark between the clauses.

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Some clauses can stand alone as sentences, and some cannot. What clause in this sentence could stand alone as its own sentence?We ate shrimp until the waiter came with the pizza.We ate shrimp / until the waiter came with the pizza.Right: We ate shrimpA clause that can stand alone as a sentence is called an independent clause. Example: We ate shrimp.A clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence is called a subordinate clause. (It’s also called a dependent clause. Example: Until he came.)

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An independent clause that stands alone is a simple sentence. Fill in the first quadrant in page 4’s table.

A simple sentence.One independent clause.Example: She wrote several books.

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A subordinate clause starts with a subordinator. Without a subordinator, the subordinate clause would be an independent clause. For instance:As she spoke, I could see tears streaming down his face.What is the subordinate clause? What is the subordinator?As she spoke, I could see tears streaming down his face.Most subordinators are subordinating conjunctions:Subordinati

ng conjunction

s

after asbecaus

ebefor

euntil while

Other subordinat

orsthat which who

That, which, and who are pronouns, so they

are subjects

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On page 6, sentences 27 - 32, draw a second line under every subordinate clause. Then draw a heart around the subordinator of each subordinate clause.

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Complete the writing practice worksheet for Unit 4.

In your journal, write the unit’s big question:How will identifying clauses make me a better writer?

Write a journal entry (1) addressing this question and (2) discussing how the unit can help your writing, and (3) describing what you’re still unclear on and what you’d like to learn more about.

This ends unit 4.