Clause

 What is a Clause? 

A clause is a group of related words that contains a subject as well as a verb. 

A clause is a meaningful combination of words. as it can. alone, express a complete thought. A clause can be a simple sentence. Hence. a clause is also sometimes defined as a group of words having a subject and predicate. 

It can also be said that each sentence consists of at least one clause. 

Read the following simple examples of a clause: 

■ He laughed. 

■ I am sleeping. 

■ He sings the song. 

■ The dark is barking. 

The above examples reveal that a clause can be a simple sentence. 

A clause can also be a part of a compound or complex sentence which consists of more than one clause. Read the following examples: 

■ She is crying. (one clause) 

■ The patient died. (one clause) 

■ I waited for him, but he didn't come. (two clauses) 

■ He is going to college because he wants to meet his friend. (two clauses) 

■ My sister likes Biology, but I like Physics because I want to become an engineer. (three clauses) 

A clause by definition is a combination of words having both subject and verb. Hence, a part of a simple sentence can also be viewed as a clause. Read the following examples: 

■ They are laughing at a joker. 

■ I saw him in the street. 

■ She cooks food in the kitchen.