A main clause has a subject and a verb. In a simple statement, the subject comes first and the verb comes next: I left, She sings, They arrived. Many clauses also need an object after the verb: We bought coffee. Other verbs need a complement to finish the idea: He is tired, The room looks clean. The main clause can stand alone as a sentence, and its core order is the pattern covered in Sentence Structure.

Basic main clause patterns

Example	Pattern
She sings every morning.	A main clause usually has a subject and a verb.
He reads books at night.	A transitive verb needs an object to complete the meaning.
The soup tastes good.	A linking verb often needs a complement after it.

Adverbs usually go before the main verb, after be, or at the end of the clause. Compare She often calls, She is often late, and She called yesterday. A short adverb can also move to the front for emphasis or style: Yesterday, she called. The front position gives the adverb more focus, while the end position often sounds neutral. When an adverb modifies the whole clause, the end of the clause is a common place for it: They left early.

Common adverb positions in clauses

Usage	Explanation	Example
Before the main verb	Use this position for many adverbs when you want to show how an action happens.	She usually walks to work.
After the main verb	Use this position when the adverb naturally follows the verb or the object.	They finished quickly.
For emphasis at the beginning	Use this position when you want to give special emphasis to the adverb.	Today, I need an answer.

To make a clause negative, add not after the auxiliary. With do, the pattern is subject + do/does + not + base verb: I do not know, She does not work here. With be, the pattern is subject + am/is/are + not: I am not ready, They are not here. If the verb is be, no extra do appears. The negative word stays close to the verb that carries the clause meaning.

Forming negative clauses with do and be

Example	Pattern
I do not like cold weather.	Use do not or does not before the base verb in present simple negatives.
She did not call yesterday.	Use did not before the base verb in past simple negatives.
They are not ready yet.	Use be plus not to make negatives with am, is, or are.

Yes-no questions move the auxiliary before the subject. The pattern is auxiliary + subject + verb: Are you ready?, Do they live here?, Can she swim? If the clause uses be, do, or another auxiliary, that word comes first. The main verb stays after the subject, or after the auxiliary when the verb form needs it. This word order signals a question and often appears in everyday Asking Questions.

Auxiliary order in yes no questions

Example	Pattern
Are you coming tonight?	Put the auxiliary before the subject in a yes no question.
Do they live nearby?	Use do, does, or did when the main verb has no auxiliary.
Does he play tennis?	Keep the base verb after the subject in the question.

A wh-question begins with a wh-word such as who, what, where, when, why, or how. After the wh-word, place the auxiliary before the subject: Where are you going?, What did she buy?, Why is he waiting? If the wh-word is the subject, there is no inversion: Who called you? The wh-word names the missing information, and the rest of the clause keeps question word order. These forms are central to Asking Questions.

Wh question structure in clauses

Example	Pattern
Where do you work?	Start with the wh word to ask for specific information.
Why did she leave early?	Put the auxiliary after the wh word in most questions.
What does he want?	Use the base verb after the subject when the question needs do support.

A subordinate clause starts with a subordinator such as because, if, when, or although. It has a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence: because it was late, if she comes, when we finish. The subordinator shows the clause’s role in the larger sentence. It can give a reason, condition, time, contrast, or other relationship. Many of these links belong to Subordinating Conjunctions.

Common subordinators for dependent clauses

Word	Definition	Example
because	This word introduces a reason clause.	I stayed home because I was tired.
when	This word introduces a time clause.	Call me when you arrive.
if	This word introduces a condition clause.	We can go out if it stops raining.
although	This word introduces a contrast clause.	Although it was late, we kept talking.
that	This word often introduces a content clause after a verb.	I know that she is right.
while	This word introduces an action that happens at the same time as another action.	She read while I cooked.
before	This word introduces an event that happens earlier than another event.	Wash your hands before dinner.
after	This word introduces an event that happens later than another event.	We talked after the meeting.
until	This word shows that something continues up to a point in time.	Wait here until I return.
since	This word can show a time point or a starting point for a state.	She has lived here since 2020.

Scramble

Dependent clauses keep normal subject + verb order. After a subordinator, do not use question word order: I stayed because I was tired, not because was I tired. The same rule applies in clauses with wh-words used as connectors: I know where she lives, not where does she live in the dependent clause. The clause sounds complete inside the larger sentence only when the subject comes before the verb. This pattern also works with many structures built from Coordinating Conjunctions and other clause linkers in longer sentences.

Word order inside dependent clauses

Example	Pattern
I will call you when the bus arrives.	A dependent clause usually keeps normal subject verb order.
I know where he lives.	Do not use question order inside a dependent clause.
Because it was raining, we stayed inside.	The subordinator often signals that the clause cannot stand alone.

Relative clauses follow a noun and describe it. The relative pronoun introduces the clause: who for people, which for things, and that for people or things in many common cases. Compare The woman who called me and The book which I borrowed. The relative clause comes right after the noun it identifies, so the listener knows which person or thing you mean. In many everyday sentences, that is the most general choice for a defining clause. Relative clauses are part of the sentence patterns used in Sentence Structure and often support clearer Making Statements.

Relative pronouns and noun modifiers

Example	Pattern
The woman who called is my aunt.	Use who for people.
I like the bag which you bought.	Use which for things and animals.
This is the song that I love.	Use that for people or things in many defining relative clauses.
The cake that you made looks great.	Put the relative clause after the noun it describes.

Non-finite clauses use verb forms that do not show tense. A to-infinitive clause often works as a subject, object, or complement: To travel is exciting, I want to leave, Her plan is to study. An -ing clause can also fill these roles: Swimming helps, I enjoy reading, After finishing the work, he left. These clauses can act like noun phrases or modifiers while still keeping their own verb meaning. They let one sentence carry two ideas without using a full finite clause for each one.

Non finite clause forms and uses

Example	Pattern
I want to travel this summer.	Use a to infinitive clause after many verbs and adjectives.
Swimming is good exercise.	Use an ing clause as a subject or object in many cases.
She left early to catch the train.	Use a to infinitive clause to show purpose.
He enjoys reading at night.	Use an ing clause after some verbs and prepositions.

Clauses connect with coordinating and subordinating linkers. A coordinator such as and, but, or or joins two main clauses: She called, and he answered. A subordinator such as because or although joins a dependent clause to a main clause: We stayed home because it rained. A comma usually appears before a coordinator that links two full clauses. A dependent clause at the front often takes a comma: Because it rained, we stayed home. Relative clauses with extra information also use commas, but defining relative clauses usually do not.

Linkers and comma patterns between clauses

Usage	Explanation	Example
Coordinating addition	Use coordinating words to join clauses that are equally important.	I called, and she answered.
Coordinating contrast	Use coordinating words to show contrast between two main clauses.	He wanted to stay, but he was tired.
Subordinating reason	Use a subordinator to connect a reason clause to a main clause.	We left early because the train was late.
Subordinate clause with comma first	Use a comma when a subordinate clause comes before the main clause.	When the meeting ended, we went home.
Defining relative clause without comma	Do not use a comma when the relative clause is essential to the noun meaning.	The man who lives next door is kind.