Clauses - Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentence

Clauses

A group of words, consisting of a subject and a finite form of a verb. Clause is defined as a sentence with sensical meaning with only 1 subject and 1 verb.

Clauses = SUBJECT + VERB

e.g. (contoh)

I go, subject = I, Verb = go

The first thing that you should have understood is, how many subjects in that sentence? Secondly, how about the noun, is it countable or uncountable? Pay attention on the words such as " a number of, both you and I", it is advised to visit this link, if you find any problems related to the subject and verb agreement.

The second thing that you must also have understood is, the verb will be defined from the numbers of the subject!!! Be aware of the previous link that I have posted before. For further information related to the verb, please visit this link below

The Introduction of Word Classification

Another example of a clause is

The heating treatment of making a cup of tea gives different colour of the tea extract

Note the word gives, which is the base words of "memberi" in Bahasa Indonesia. In English, this verb is grouped as irregular verbs, as it changes when it is used in present, past, and passive, i.e.

Give(s)-(Verb 1 or present), Gave (Verb 2 or past), Given (V3 or past participle/ adjectives)

If  a clause has a singular noun as the subject, then the verb must be written in form of V(s) or V(es). Another example, such as 

The football match takes place in the Stadium of Teladan, Medan, Indonesia

On the other hand, if a clause has plural noun as the subject, then the verb that is used must be in form of plural verb which is indicated without the present of "-s" or "-es". As the following example shows you

In the hot season, people in Indonesia visit some cooler places, particularly in the mountain area

or

The doctors diagnosed the patients by using certain medical equipment

 

A simple Sentence

A simple sentence is a sentence that is equal in structure, grammar, and thoughts (idea) to a clause. This means that the simple sentence is only formed by 1 subject and 1 verb. However, the thoughts must be clarity. Have a look an example of the clause, "The heating treatment of making a cup of tea gives different colour of the tea extract", by which the thought is this sentence is obvious or clear. Thus,

Thought = idea that is clear is grouped as independent clause

As the meaning is sensical and it is not depended by any other clauses or sentences, the simple sentence is mainly has a function as

• main sentence
• topic sentence
• controlling sentence

A compound Sentence

Now, what if, I want to combine two clauses in which both of these clauses have the same status, such as only to give you an option or a bit of information about my parents jobs. Have a look two simple sentences below

My father works as a Chief Officer in the Police Department

and,

My mother has a profession as a university lecturer

As these two sentences are equally in idea/ thoughts, which show their independence characteristics, I could join these two altogether by proposing the connector (joiner) of AND, which become,

My father works as a Chief Officer in the Police Department, and my mother has a profession as a university lecturer

Note that, a compound sentence means a combination of (at least) two independent clauses which is joined by a coordinating connector. In common English words, the coordinating connectors are:

• But
• And
• So
• Or
• Nor
• Yet
• For

A Complex Sentence

The same thing does happening if we combine two clauses, in which at least, however, one of the clauses is dependent to the other clause. Have a look an example of the following example,

My little sister said to me that she failed the final exam because her book was broken due to the fire in our house

Note that, the bold words (said, failed, was broken) are the verbs, which indicate three clauses, and they are

• My little sister said to me
• She failed the final exam
• Her book was broken due to the fire in our house

Now, you have three ideas that suggest the meaning of this "complex sentence" - you may wonder why it is called complex; well it is merely of the complexity of this sentence which makes you confused to think about the meaning.

More importantly, there is a cause which is indicated by the words because. Thus, there is a reason of something which is "her book was broken due to the fire in our house", where as the effect is "she failed the final exam", so,

She failed the exam because her book was broken due to the fire in our house

If we divide the last two clauses, we find that the independent clause is "she failed the exam", as the meaning of this clause is clear and obvious. Moreover, it is not depended by the other clause. However, as this sentence is inside the the "saying" or "the event" of my little sister said to me, it becomes two dependent clauses - indicated by the word that, so

My little sister said to me that she failed the exam (why? go the reason)

So, the complex sentence is a sentence with of complexity in ideas (independent and dependent ideas), in which their presence are demonstrated by the subordinating connectors such as:

• that
• which
• because
• although

You can download the teaching material via this Google Drive Link Here.