Cohesive Devices - Exercise

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Clauses can be classified into three types: noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses.

Noun Clause: A noun clause is a clause that acts as a noun in a sentence. It can function as the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. Noun clauses often begin with words like that, whether, who, whom, whoever, what, whatever, where, when, why, how.

To check if the dependent clause is a noun clause, substitute the clause with "it", "John" or "Mary"

Example:

• That he is always late annoys me. (It)
  
• I don't know whether she will come. (It)
• The person who said it is wrong. (John)
  

Adjective Clause: An adjective clause is a clause that modifies a noun or pronoun in a sentence. It usually begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or a relative adverb (where, when, why).

Example:

• The woman who is wearing a red coat is my neighbor.
• The book that you lent me was very interesting.
• The day when we met was sunny and warm.

Adverb Clause: An adverb clause is a clause that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb in a sentence. It usually begins with a subordinating conjunction (after, although, because, before, if, since, until, when, where, while, etc.).

Example:

• After she finished her work, she went for a walk.
• Although he studied hard, he still failed the exam.
• Because it was raining, we decided to stay inside.