Brenda W.

asked • 12/17/15

english summary

which of the following is a clause? a) clapping and laughing excitedly b) whereas I love ice cream c) the captain and his rowdy crew standing d) to get up and go

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Lillian H. answered • 12/17/15

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A clause has a subject and a predicate. Which one of the answers above could be a complete sentence?
 
Answer: B
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Ed M.

I agree with Lillian H., but I'd just like to point to what Heather S. also said about words like whereas "typically attach[ing] a clause to a sentence." In fact, whereas I love ice cream could not, in Standard Written English, be a complete sentence on its own because the presence of whereas requires that this clause--and both Lillian and Heather are right, it is a clause though a dependent or subordinate one due to its beginning with whereas--would have to be attached to a main or independent clause, either introducing or following the latter, e.g., Whereas I love ice cream, it makes my tummy hurt or Jimmy detests any dairy products whereas I love ice cream.
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12/18/15

Heather S.

Ed, I like your detailed and precise answers. 
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12/18/15

Lillian H.

Thanks Ed, yes, "whereas" makes this dependent clause. When trying to decide if something is a clause, I tell my students to look for subject-predicate constructions in the sentence. Then we can proceed to types of clauses.
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12/18/15

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