Chapter 10. Nominal Clauses - English Grammar and Phonology

Chapter ten starts off with simple sentences. Such sentences contain a single clause and one preposition. Complex and compound sentences have more than one clause. In these sentences, the verbs show tense. These verbs are called finite verbs. Compound sentences are two simple sentences combined with a conjunction. Complex sentences include one dependant clause and one independant clause.

Subordinate conjunctions form adverbial clauses. A subordinate clause inlcudes a dependant clause beginning with a subordinating conjunction. There are some tests that can be used to identify subordinate clauses. We are taught how to diagram sentences with these clauses.

We discuss relative clauses next. These always act as adjectives. Relative pronouns join dependant clauses to main clauses and are essential to a sentence. Relative clauses can be restrictive or nonrestrictive. When they help to identify special referants, they are restrictive. When they only provide additional information about a referent, they are nonrestrictive.

Here comes the who/whom. Traditionally, whom is used when the human relative pronoun functions as the object of a verb or preposition. Who functions as subject and whom as object. I like the books idea of simply deleting the relative pronoun all together.

I still get confused between adverbial and adjectival clauses. (really adjective and adverbs in general). But, I think these chapters are helping! This chapter was a bit difficult to fully grasp, but right now I do not think I have many questions.