ABSTRACT
This chapter explores different types of phrases and clauses, including noun phrases, preposition phrases, adverbials (phrases and clauses), coordinated and subordinate clauses, relative clauses and non-finite clauses. It also looks at subject and object as they are important when forming the passive voice. As well as providing a sense of balance in writing, coordinated clauses can be used stylistically to slow the pace and create a sense of anticipation through deferred gratification. Many grammarians refer to sentences containing one or more subordinate clauses as complex sentences. Although this is an established grammatical term, it can give the impression that the meaning conveyed by the sentence is complex, which is not necessarily the case. Subordination enables writers to express more complex ideas by building layers of meaning. An effective way to teach about relative clauses is to use the sentence-combining approach. A non-finite clause is a type of subordinate clause that takes a non-finite verb.
