clauses - dependent/subordinate or independent/main  

• must have both a subject and a verb

independent clause - stands alone as a complete sentence  

• can have compound parts
• found in all sentences
• does not act as an adjective, adverb, or noun

dependent clause - not a complete thought  

• depends on the independent clause
• starts w/ a relative pronoun or a subordinate conjunction
• works as an adjective, adverb, noun

adjective dependent clause - describes a noun  

• usually follows the noun it modifies
• essential clause - needed; cannot be removed from the sentence w/o changing its meaning
• nonessential clause - can be removed w/o changing the sentence's meaning
• use "who," "whom," or "whose" to describe people; don't use "that"
• use "that" for essential clauses; don't use "which"

adverb dependent clause - begins w/ subordinate conjunction  

• answers the questions when, where, how, why, to what extent, under what conditions
• can come before/after the main clause
• elliptical adverb - certain words are left out and implied

noun dependent clause - replaces a noun in a sentence  

• can act as a subject, direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, predicate noun/nominative, appositive
• direct object - answers the question "what?"
• indirect object - comes before the direct object; answers the question "to whom?"; cannot exist in a sentence w/o the direct object
• predicate noun - linked to the subject by a linking verb; renames the subject
• appositive - renames the noun; usually follows it, enclosed by commas