Page 47 - English Reader - 6

Let’s Learn Grammar

I. Clauses

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and its subject.

Example: The kids were playing in the garden while their mother cooked food.
There are two kinds of clauses:

1. Independent clause 2. Dependent clause

An Independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand by itself as a sentence.
Example: The kids were playing in the garden.

A dependent clause does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a
sentence.

Example: While their mother cooked food.

Add an independent clause to each dependent clause below to complete each sentence.

1. Until the Sun sets, _________________________________________________

2. If you give me a reason, _________________________________________________

3. Before the food is served, _________________________________________________

4. Whenever you come to visit, ________________________________________________

5. How he got picked, _________________________________________________

6. So long as you know, _________________________________________________

7. If you can work on Monday, _________________________________________________
8. Before we leave, _________________________________________________

II. Inverted Commas

Inverted commas or quotation marks are used

• before and after the words that are actually spoken.
“Jumman Sheikh,” said Alagu, “you and I are old friends.”

• before and after titles of articles, poems, songs, essays, and short stories (usually single
quotes).
Have you read the poem ‘A Child’s Thought’ by R L Stevenson?

• before and after words that are quoted exactly (usually single quotes).
The judge termed the case as ‘curious and baffling’ before closing it for lack of evidence.

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