Clauses

Relative Clause

give us information about the person or thing mentioned.

Defining

Tells us what group/people were talking about. These sentences wouldn’t make sense if we remove the relative clause.

• That’s the doctor who did Karen’s operation

Non-defining

• These only give us more information about someone/something. The sentence makes complete sense if we remove the relative clause.

  (Dr. Lake, who has been working here for more than ten years, is a very experienced surgeon.)

Participle clauses

used to give more information about the events, things or ideas. (Walking down the street on Sunday, I saw Simon)

Infinitive clauses

begins the clause with an infinite verb and then follow it with a noun clause. (to learn, to dance…)

Concession clauses

a subordinate clause which refers to a situation that contrasts with the one described in the main clause

Cleft Sentences

are a special kind of complex sentence used for emphasis. We can differentiate:

• It-cleft: It was Nina‘s car that got broken into.

• Wh-cleft: What we need to do is get new batteries.

• All (that)-cleft: All that Keith wanted was to get his money back.

• The-cleft: The person who stole the money was Thomas.