Relating Ideas in a Sentence
Clauses
A clause contains both a subject and a verb. There are a variety of clause types.
who has been lost in cyberspace for 20 years.
The data on that disk which could still be read by a modern Apple computer is too damaged.
This is the method we use to debug the program which was chosen by our CEO.
Independent Clause
An independent clause is a complete sentence when used alone. It contains the subject and the verb of a sentence. Independent clauses are also named 'main clauses'.
Example:
There are a number of sections in the status bar.
There are a number of different cursor designs to choose from in this system.
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause is not a complete sentence and must be used together with an independent clause.
Example:
that have been deleted from storage
who has been defined as a cyberpunk writer for thirty years.
Relative Clause
A relative clause modifies a noun or noun phrase and is dependent. Relative clauses provide additional information which identifies or describes a noun. Relative clauses are also referred to as adjective clauses.
Example:
The data on that disk which could still be read by a modern Apple computer is too damaged.
There are a number of subdirectories that have been untouched for more than twenty years.