82 Answered Questions for the topic Clauses

03/29/19

Problem converting 'even though' clause to 'despite' clause: 'Despite losing...'?
I stumbled across this question in 'Intermediate Language Practice' by Michael Vince: 'Even though they were losing at half-time, City won in the end. Despite________________________________' The... more
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03/29/19

What is the conceptual distinction between coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions?
While it is easy enough to identify coordinating and subordinating conjunctions by memorizing lists of them, the actual distinction seems arbitrary. Coordinating conjunctions are said to join... more
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03/24/19

A trail of colons?
I find I often, when writing, want to string colons together. Here is a recent example: >These two moments would be likely candidates for retelling: they both connect the people of San Andrés... more
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03/23/19

Is the use of dependent clauses undesirable? (in scientific writing)?
I tend to use dependent clauses frequently in scientific writing. This is especially true when discussing a problem-solving process where the result from one step leads into the next. Here's a... more
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03/22/19

What is the difference between "excuse me" and "forgive me"?
I am hesitated when I use the sentence "forgive my fault, please." instead of "excuse me, please." because the word "forgive" has a religious theme and probably carries some additional meanings.... more
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03/19/19

How do you assign Case to sentences with an infinitival clause?
Look at this example: For the butler to attack the robber would be surprising. Here, the butler and the robber are assigned accusative case. Is 'for' assigning case to the butler and 'to attack'... more
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03/19/19

Why is there no comma before "and" before this independent clause?
> This was at a moment when the magistrate, overcome with tiredness, had > gone down into the garden of his house **and**, dark, bent beneath > some implacable thought, like Tarquin... more
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03/19/19

Is there a noun for inverting two clauses so that the personal pronoun is mentioned in advance and only later is its antecedent specified?
>- "Charles can be very sarcastic when he wishes. - "When he wishes, Charles can be very sarcastic. Is there a word for this kind of inversion?
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03/19/19

How can you tell which noun a clause modifies?
I'm a ESOL teacher, and I'm having trouble answering a question that a student asked me recently. We were going over long sentences, and found this one from the New York Times: > Saudi Arabia... more
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03/17/19

Where to insert comma(s)?
Compare these: > 1. She tried, and, as expected, failed. 2. She tried, and as expected, failed. 3. She tried and, as expected, failed. 4. She tried and as expected, failed. 5. She tried and (as... more
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03/17/19

Adverbial phrase vs "Adverbial clause"?
Please tell me what the difference is between an *adverbial phrase* and an *adverbial clause*.
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Clauses Grammar

03/17/19

Separating Clauses in Garden-path Sentences?
> While Nancy was dressing the baby played in the garden. I'm not sure where the first clause ends! After *baby* or after *dressing*? Please, suggest some way I can improve that sentence.
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03/17/19

Using a comma before “and we already have a toaster.”?
Which of the following is correct? 1. No gifts please, we don't need any orchids and we already have a toaster. 2. No gifts please, we don't need any orchids , and we already have a toaster.
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03/16/19

Help with what MS Word insists is a comma splice?
I usually either accept or work around Word's grammar suggestions (I hate having red/blue lines in my documents) but this particular suggestion has me stumped. The sentence is "Striding forward... more
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Clauses Grammar

03/16/19

Is the clause after 'and' in the sentence "His voice was serious and his manner solemn." valid?
Is the sentence "His voice was serious and his manner solemn." grammatically correct? I've seen 'be' dropped in some sentences like this one.
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03/16/19

Non-finite clause complementation of complex transitive verbs?
This question has been bothering me for a while. It came up when I was reading Chapter 16 of "A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language." How to explain the grammatical structure of the... more
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03/16/19

Seeing the rain come on, we took shelter — complex or simple sentence?
> Seeing the rain come on, we took shelter. This sentence looks like a complex sentence with a main and an independent clause. But the book says it is a simple sentence. Which is correct?
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03/16/19

Semi-colon or colon?
I'm writing a descriptive piece, and can't figure out whether this is grammatically correct, or whether I ought to place a semi-colon between "entry" and "crooked": "As I walked in using the... more
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Clauses Grammar Adverbs

03/16/19

Adverb clause: his delight evident?
I recently have come across a clause, *his delight evident*, reading a novel. Which I have found tricky to understand. I have been able to get to the meaning yet not to the structure it possesses.... more
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03/16/19

Are commas and dashes truly interchangeable?
My English teacher told me that "dashes and commas are interchangeable". For instance, "My friend, Alex, ran to the store." and, "My friend–Alex–ran to the store." are both grammatically correct... more
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03/16/19

Clauses, and comma before “nor”?
Does this sentence have two independent clauses? > I do not like biology nor do I like chemistry. To me the last clause seems dependent, but I find sources that tell me to place a comma before... more
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Clauses Grammar Pronouns

03/16/19

Describe a noun using "pronoun + verb" OR "-ing verb" after the noun?
So I was trying to google this, but I have no idea how to describe my question. I tried a few different keywords and still couldn't find the answer. Basically, I am wondering if there is any... more
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03/16/19

Alternative way to phrase the relative clause "which I don't find X to be"?
I wrote down the following sentence. But I think it's quite awkward. Besides, Google tells me that the clause *which I don't find him to be* occurs only twice across the internet. >He'll do this... more
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03/16/19

Position of prepositions in questions and clauses?
I would like to know if there is any rule to know where prepositions should be placed in questions or clauses. For example, I have heard many sentences and some of them put the preposition in the... more
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03/16/19

Independent clause with no subject?
Like this "Read, write, and think", this is classified as independent clause but they contain verbs only. Is it possible to thave an Independent Clause with no subject?
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