Lesson 10: Expand and connect clauses
Add information only when its relationship to the main idea is clear.
~55 MINUTES · COMPLEX SENTENCES
Three clause jobs
Noun clause: fills a noun position. What she decided surprised us.
Relative clause: modifies a noun. The plan that she proposed was cheaper.
Adverb clause: relates situation to time, cause, contrast, purpose, or condition. Although it was cheaper, we rejected it.
Defining versus supplementary
The engineers who tested checkout found the bug. identifies which engineers. The engineers, who tested checkout, found the bug. adds supplementary information and implies the engineers as a known whole. Commas change meaning, not breathing.
Choose connector by relation
because cause · although concession · while/whereas contrast · so that purpose · if/unless condition · when/after/before time. Avoid although … but and because … so in standard clause pairing.
Controlled practice
- Combine with cause: “Delivery stopped. The address was incomplete.”
- Combine with concession: “The plan was risky. The team approved it.”
- Define which customers using a relative clause.
- Add supplementary information about one named colleague.
- Turn “She decided something” into a noun clause subject.
- Correct: “Although demand rose, but revenue fell.”
- Correct punctuation: “My manager who lives in Ghent cycles to work” when only one manager exists.
- Reduce: “Customers who are waiting for support…”
Check controlled answers
- Delivery stopped because the address was incomplete.
- Although the plan was risky, the team approved it.
- Customers who ordered yesterday received the update.
- Ana, who leads support, joined the call.
- What she decided surprised the team.
- Although demand rose, revenue fell.
- My manager, who lives in Ghent, cycles to work.
- Customers waiting for support…
Shortcut that works
Say ideas as 2 short sentences first. Name relation between them. Only then combine with connector or relative marker.
Production lab
Retrieval practice
Your win: one paragraph containing controlled noun, relative, cause, contrast, purpose, and condition clauses.
Primary source
Use Cambridge Grammar Today on clause types and the clause relationships map.