Clause
Noun
UK
/klɔːz/
US
/klɔːz/
Definition
A group of words with a subject and verb, or a section in a legal document.
Example
"“The baby laughs” is a simple clause."
"The contract has a clause about payment terms."
"Dependent clauses cannot stand alone and must connect to other parts of a sentence."
Explanation
A clause is a part of a sentence that has a subject (who/what the sentence is about) and a verb (action or state). Some clauses can stand alone as full sentences (independent clauses) like “He writes” is a simple clause, while others depend on another part of the sentence (dependent clauses) like “When he writes” is a dependent clause as it can’t stand alone. Clauses are important in grammar because they form the building blocks of sentences. In legal or formal writing, a clause can also mean a specific section of a contract or agreement.