= Clause
{disambiguate=grammar}
A <clause (grammar)> is a grammatical unit organized around a <predicate (grammar)> and its associated <subject (grammar)>, which may be expressed or understood. A written sentence can contain one such unit or combine several. Identifying clauses is a structural analysis rather than a matter of counting punctuation marks.<Clause in the SIL Glossary of Linguistic Terms>[Definition and main/subordinate example]{ref}
In the original example `The bird landed because the wind dropped`, `the bird` and `landed` form one subject-predicate pairing, while `the wind` and `dropped` form another. The latter is introduced as a <subordinate clause> giving a reason; the first supplies the main assertion. Both occur within a single written sentence.
Separating the units supports explicit accounts of <syntax> and interpretation. The labels should still follow the language and construction being analyzed: an omitted subject is not automatically evidence that no <clause (grammar)> is present. A proposed analysis must state which elements are expressed and which relationships it treats as implicit.
Back to article page
