1. Independent Clauses (Main Clauses): These clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence. They express a complete thought and contain a subject and a predicate (verb phrase).
* Example: The dog barked loudly.
2. Dependent Clauses (Subordinate Clauses): These clauses cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. They rely on an independent clause to complete their meaning. They function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns within a sentence. There are several subtypes:
* Noun Clauses: Function as nouns; they can be subjects, objects, or complements. They often begin with words like *that, what, whoever, whomever, whether, if*.
* Example (subject): *That he won the race* surprised everyone.
* Example (object): I believe *that he is honest*.
* Example (complement): The problem is *that we have no money*.
* Adjective Clauses (Relative Clauses): Function as adjectives; they modify nouns or pronouns. They are introduced by relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) or relative adverbs (where, when, why).
* Example: The house *that Jack built* is very old.
* Example: The time *when we met* was unforgettable.
* Adverb Clauses: Function as adverbs; they modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They show time, place, reason, purpose, condition, contrast, or manner. They are often introduced by subordinating conjunctions (e.g., although, because, if, since, unless, until, when, where, while).
* Example (time): *After the rain stopped*, we went for a walk.
* Example (reason): We stayed home *because it was raining*.
* Example (condition): *If it rains tomorrow*, we will cancel the picnic.
It's important to note that some clauses can be embedded within other clauses, creating complex sentence structures. The classification depends on the clause's function within the overall sentence.