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This article describes the syntax of clauses in the English language, that is, the ways of combining and ordering constituents such as verbs and noun phrases to form a clause. ==Types of clause== Clauses can be classified as ''independent'' (main clauses) and ''dependent'' (subordinate clauses). A typical sentence consists of one independent clause, possibly augmented by one or more dependent clauses. An independent clause is a simple sentence. Sentences can be classified according to the purpose or function of the sentence into ''declarative'' (making a statement), ''interrogative'' (asking a question), exclamatory sentence or ''imperative'' (giving an order). In interrogative main clauses, unless the subject is or contains the interrogative word, the verb precedes the subject: ''Are you hungry?'' ''Where am I?'' (but ''Who did this?'', without inversion, since the interrogative ''who'' is itself the subject). However such inversion is only possible with an auxiliary or copular verb; if no such verb would otherwise be present, ''do''-support is used. In most imperative clauses the subject is absent: ''Eat your dinner!'' However imperative clauses may include the subject for emphasis: ''You eat your dinner!''. The form of the verb is the base form of the verb, such as ''eat'', ''write'', ''be''. Modal verbs do not have imperative forms. Negation uses ''do''-support, even if the verb is ''be''; see below. The imperative here refers to second-person forms; constructions for other persons may be formed periphrastically, e.g. ''Let's (let us) go''; ''Let them eat cake''. A dependent clause may be ''finite'' (based on a finite verb, as independent clauses are), or ''non-finite'' (based on a verb in the form of an infinitive or participle). Particular types of dependent clause include relative clauses, content clauses and adverbial clauses. In certain instances, clauses use a verb conjugated in the subjunctive mood; see English subjunctive. Clauses can be nested within each other, sometimes up to several levels. For example, the sentence ''I know the woman who says she saw your son drinking beer'' contains a non-finite clause (''drinking beer'') within a content clause (''she saw your son drinking beer'') within a relative clause (''who says she saw your son drinking beer'') within an independent declarative clause (the whole sentence). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「English clause syntax」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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