4. Clause

is a group word that contains a finite verb, one part of which makes sense while the other does not. The part that makes sense is called the MAIN clause or INDEPENDENT clause while the part that does not make sense is called the SUBORDINATE clause or the DEPENDENT clause. A clause could be two simple sentences joined together by a subordinator e. g.

 

The man killed a goat when it entered his farm.

 

1.       The man killed a goat                   -         main clause

2.       When it entered his farm              -         subordinate clause

 

No. 1 (main clause) is a complete sentence

No. 2 has to depend on No. 1 to make sense so is a part of a sentence but not a sentence.