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Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Definition of a main clause====== =====Introduction===== <html><P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" ><B style=""><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Main clause</SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B style=""><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>A main clause (or independent clause) contains a<SPAN style="COLOR: #353535"> </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: #8064a2">subject</SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: #353535"> </SPAN>and a<SPAN style="COLOR: #353535"> </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: #8064a2">verb</SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: #353535"> </SPAN>and expresses a complete thought.</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN></SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" ><B style=""><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Examples</SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B style=""><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Jenny was a teacher. </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B style=""><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>She lived in London.</SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN></SPAN><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>These are both main clauses and also <SPAN style="COLOR: #8064a2">sentences</SPAN>.</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN></SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B style=""><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Jenny was a teacher and she lived in London.</SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Two main clauses linked by the <SPAN style="COLOR: #8064a2">conjunction</SPAN> 'and'.</SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>A main clause is not dependent on any other clause within a sentence. </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>When Jenny was a teacher...</SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>This is no longer a complete thought as we do not know what happened when Jenny was a teacher. It is not an independent clause.</SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></B></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Every sentence must contain at least one main clause</SPAN></B><B style=""><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>.</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN></SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt" ><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>.</SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" ><B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>When Jenny was a teacher, </SPAN></B><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>she lived in London</SPAN></B><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>.</SPAN></B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN></SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" ><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN></SPAN><B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>[time adverbial clause and main clause] <SPAN style="COLOR: red"></SPAN></SPAN></B></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" ><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Jenny</SPAN></B><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>,</SPAN></B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN><B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>who was a teacher</SPAN></B><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>,</SPAN></B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>lived in London.</SPAN></B><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: blue; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN></SPAN></B></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" ><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN></SPAN><B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>[main clause and embedded relative clause]</SPAN></B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN></SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" ><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #0000cc; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>Jenny could be a head teacher</SPAN></B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN> </SPAN><B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>if she lived in London</SPAN></B><B style=""><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>.</SPAN></B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN></SPAN></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" ><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #353535; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN></SPAN><B><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; ; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB" lang=EN>[main clause and conditional clause]</SPAN></B></P></html> [[en:grammar:home|{{ :file_-_back_3_.png?150 }}]]