English Grammar: Clauses

For Indian Hindi Medium Students — Beginner to Advanced

What is a Clause?

A clause is a group of related words that has:

• A subject (who/what)
• A verb (action/state)

Clause vs. Phrase:

Types of Clauses:

1. Independent Clause (मुख्य खंड) — can stand alone
2. Dependent Clause (आश्रित खंड) — cannot stand alone

1. Independent Clause vs. Dependent Clause

Independent Clause (मुख्य खंड)

• Can stand alone as a complete sentence
• Expresses a complete idea

Examples:

• I study hard.
• She loves reading.
• We went to the park.

Dependent Clause (आश्रित खंड)

• Cannot stand alone
• Needs an independent clause to make sense
• Starts with subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns

Common Subordinating Conjunctions:

• because, although, when, while, if, since, before, after, unless, though, as, until, so that, whereas, etc.

Common Relative Pronouns:

• who, whom, whose, which, that

Examples:

• ❌ “Although it was raining” (incomplete)
• ✅ “Although it was raining, we went out” (complete with independent clause)

2. Noun Clause

Definition:

A dependent clause that functions as a noun in a sentence. It can be:

• Subject
• Object
• Complement
• Object of preposition

Structure:

Subordinating word + Subject + Verb

Subordinating words for Noun Clauses:

• that, what, whatever, who, whom, whose, when, where, why, how, whether, if

Types and Examples:

A) Noun Clause as Subject (वाक्य का विषय)

More Examples:

1. What you said hurts me.
   • Noun clause = subject of “hurts”
2. Why he left is a mystery.
   • Noun clause = subject of “is”
3. Whether he comes or not doesn’t matter.
   • Noun clause = subject of “matters”
4. How to solve this is difficult.
   • Noun clause = subject of “is”

B) Noun Clause as Direct Object (वाक्य का कर्म)

More Examples:

1. I believe that she is innocent.
   • Noun clause = object of “believe”
2. She asked what his name was.
   • Noun clause = object of “asked”
3. Do you know where the school is?
   • Noun clause = object of “know”
4. He said that he would help me.
   • Noun clause = object of “said”

C) Noun Clause as Subject Complement (विषय पूरक)

More Examples:

1. The truth is that I didn’t know.
   • Noun clause = subject complement
2. My goal is to become a doctor (or: that I will become a doctor).
   • Noun clause = subject complement

D) Noun Clause as Object of Preposition (पूर्वसर्ग का कर्म)

More Examples:

1. I’m confused about what to do.
   • Noun clause = object of preposition “about”
2. He is proud of that he achieved his goal.
   • Noun clause = object of preposition “of”

Complete Examples with Noun Clauses:

1. “What you did” was wrong, and I believe “that you should apologize”.
   • First noun clause = subject
   • Second noun clause = object
2. “Whether she will come or not” is unclear, but I hope “that she arrives on time”.
   • First noun clause = subject
   • Second noun clause = object
3. I don’t know “why he left”, but I understand “that he was unhappy”.
   • First noun clause = object
   • Second noun clause = object

3. Adjective Clause

Definition:

A dependent clause that functions as an adjective — it describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

Structure:

Relative pronoun/adverb + Subject + Verb

Relative pronouns for Adjective Clauses:

• who (subject – describes people)
• whom (object – describes people)
• whose (possessive – describes people/things)
• which (describes things)
• that (describes people/things)
• where (describes place)
• when (describes time)
• why (describes reason)

Examples:

A) With “who” (describes people as subject)

More Examples:

1. The student who scored 100 got a scholarship.
   • Adjective clause modifies “student”
2. The man who helped us is a doctor.
   • Adjective clause modifies “man”

B) With “whom” (describes people as object)

More Examples:

1. The girl whom he loves is beautiful.
   • Adjective clause modifies “girl”
2. The author whom I read is famous.
   • Adjective clause modifies “author”

C) With “whose” (possessive)

More Examples:

1. The house whose door is blue belongs to my uncle.
   • Adjective clause modifies “house”
2. The child whose toy was broken started crying.
   • Adjective clause modifies “child”

D) With “which” (describes things)

More Examples:

1. The phone which he bought is very expensive.
   • Adjective clause modifies “phone”
2. The house which they built is beautiful.
   • Adjective clause modifies “house”

E) With “that” (describes people or things)

More Examples:

1. The student that answered correctly got full marks.
   • Adjective clause modifies “student”
2. The dress that I bought is blue.
   • Adjective clause modifies “dress”

F) With “where” (describes place)

More Examples:

1. The restaurant where we had dinner was expensive.
   • Adjective clause modifies “restaurant”
2. The library where students read is quiet.
   • Adjective clause modifies “library”

G) With “when” (describes time)

More Examples:

1. The year when they got married was 2015.
   • Adjective clause modifies “year”
2. The night when it snowed was cold.
   • Adjective clause modifies “night”

H) With “why” (describes reason)

More Examples:

1. I don’t understand the reason why she is angry.
   • Adjective clause modifies “reason”

Two Types of Adjective Clauses:

1) Restrictive (Essential) — सीमित/अनिवार्य

• Essential information — without it, the meaning changes
• NO comma before the clause
• Usually uses “that”

Examples:

• The student that scored 100 got a scholarship. (defines which student)
• If you remove the clause, meaning changes significantly

2) Non-Restrictive (Non-Essential) — गैर-सीमित/वैकल्पिक

• Extra information — not essential to meaning
• COMMA before and after the clause
• Usually uses “who” or “which”

Examples:

• My friend, who is a doctor, helped me. (extra info about friend)
• If you remove the clause, meaning doesn’t change much

4. Adverb Clause

Definition:

A dependent clause that functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells us how, when, where, why, or under what condition.

Structure:

Subordinating conjunction + Subject + Verb

Subordinating Conjunctions for Adverb Clauses:

• Time: when, while, as, after, before, since, until, whenever
• Cause/Reason: because, since, as
• Condition: if, unless, provided that, as long as
• Contrast: although, though, whereas, while
• Result: so that, such that
• Manner: as, as if, as though
• Place: where, wherever

Types and Examples:

A) Adverb Clause of Time (कब)

• Tells when something happens

More Examples:

1. I met him when I was in Delhi.
   • Adverb clause of time
2. Before you go, tell me where you’re going.
   • Adverb clause of time
3. While we were playing, it started raining.
   • Adverb clause of time
4. After she finished her homework, she watched TV.
   • Adverb clause of time

B) Adverb Clause of Reason/Cause (क्यों)

• Tells why something happens

More Examples:

1. She was happy because she won the race.
   • Adverb clause of reason
2. Since you insist, I’ll come.
   • Adverb clause of reason
3. As he was sick, he couldn’t attend.
   • Adverb clause of reason

C) Adverb Clause of Condition (शर्त)

• Tells under what condition something happens

More Examples:

1. If it rains tomorrow, the match will be cancelled.
   • Adverb clause of condition
2. Unless you apologize, I won’t forgive you.
   • Adverb clause of condition
3. As long as you’re with me, I’m not scared.
   • Adverb clause of condition

D) Adverb Clause of Contrast/Concession (विरोधाभास)

• Shows opposition or contrast

More Examples:

1. Although he is rich, he is humble.
   • Adverb clause of concession
2. Though she failed once, she tried again.
   • Adverb clause of concession
3. Whereas the book is thick, it’s easy to read.
   • Adverb clause of contrast

E) Adverb Clause of Result/Consequence (परिणाम)

• Shows what happens as a result

More Examples:

1. She practiced so that she could win.
   • Adverb clause of result
2. The movie was so scary that I couldn’t watch.
   • Adverb clause of result

F) Adverb Clause of Manner (तरीका/कैसे)

• Tells how something is done

More Examples:

1. You should behave as your teacher tells you.
   • Adverb clause of manner
2. He laughed as if he had won.
   • Adverb clause of manner

G) Adverb Clause of Place (कहाँ)

• Tells where something happens

More Examples:

1. Where you sit, sit quietly.
   • Adverb clause of place
2. Wherever he travels, he takes a book.
   • Adverb clause of place

Complete Examples with Adverb Clauses:

1. “When I arrived” (time), I found him sleeping.
2. “Because it was raining” (reason), we stayed inside.
3. “If you study hard” (condition), you will succeed.
4. “Although he was tired” (contrast), he finished the work.
5. “While she was cooking” (time), the doorbell rang.

5. Comparison Table: All Three Clause Types

6. Identifying Clauses in Sentences

Example 1:

“She knows that he will come when she calls him.”

1. Main clause: “She knows”
2. Noun clause: “that he will come” (object of “knows”)
3. Adverb clause: “when she calls him” (tells when he will come)

Example 2:

“The student who studied hard passed the exam because he was prepared.”

1. Main clause: “The student passed the exam”
2. Adjective clause: “who studied hard” (describes “student”)
3. Adverb clause: “because he was prepared” (tells why he passed)

Example 3:

“What we need is someone who can teach us how to succeed.”

1. Noun clause: “What we need” (subject of sentence)
2. Main clause: “is someone”
3. Adjective clause: “who can teach us” (describes “someone”)
4. Noun clause: “how to succeed” (object of “teach”)

7. Position of Clauses

A) Adverb Clause at Beginning

• When it rained, we stayed home.
• Because he was smart, he got good marks.
• Although it was cold, we played.

B) Adverb Clause at End

• We stayed home when it rained.
• He got good marks because he was smart.
• We played although it was cold.

C) Adjective Clause Immediately After Noun

• The boy who is studying is intelligent.
• The book which I read was interesting.

D) Noun Clause at Beginning (as Subject)

• What you said is wrong.
• That he will come is certain.

E) Noun Clause at End (as Object)

• I believe that he is honest.
• She asked where I was going.

8. Practice Exercise

Identify the clause type (Noun, Adjective, or Adverb):

1. That he is innocent is clear.
2. The girl who won the prize is my sister.
3. I stayed home because I was sick.
4. What you did was wrong, but I know that you didn’t mean it.
5. The restaurant where we ate was expensive.
6. If you study hard, you will pass.
7. I don’t know why he is angry.
8. The student whom the teacher praised felt happy.
9. Although it was late, we continued working.
10. The reason why I left is a secret.

Answers:

1. Noun clause (subject)
2. Adjective clause (describes “girl”)
3. Adverb clause (reason)
4. Noun clauses (subject and object)
5. Adjective clause (describes “restaurant”)
6. Adverb clause (condition)
7. Noun clause (object)
8. Adjective clause (describes “student”)
9. Adverb clause (contrast)
10. Adjective clause (describes “reason”)

9. Advanced Examples

Complex Sentence with Multiple Clauses:

“Although the job was difficult, the man who was experienced completed it because he knew that experience matters.”

Breakdown:

• “Although the job was difficult” = Adverb clause (contrast)
• “who was experienced” = Adjective clause (describes “man”)
• “because he knew that experience matters” = Adverb clause (reason)
• “that experience matters” = Noun clause (object of “knew”)

10. Hindi-English Comparison

11. Key Points to Remember

✅ Noun Clause:

• Acts like a noun
• Can be subject, object, complement
• Starts with: that, what, who, whether, how, why

✅ Adjective Clause:

• Describes a noun/pronoun
• Comes immediately after the noun
• Starts with: who, whom, whose, which, that, where, when, why

✅ Adverb Clause:

• Modifies verb/adjective/adverb
• Tells: how, when, where, why, condition, contrast
• Starts with: because, when, if, although, while, since, etc.

12. Quick Identification Method

Ask these questions:

1. Does the clause act like a noun? → Noun Clause
   • “I believe that he is honest” — act like object
2. Does the clause describe a noun? → Adjective Clause
   • “The girl who won is smart” — describes girl
3. Does the clause tell how, when, where, why, or condition about a verb? → Adverb Clause
   • “We stayed because it rained” — tells why we stayed