oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

29 SENTENCES WITH MORE THAN ONE CLAUSE PAGE 318
1 Main clauses
a
b
We can use and to join two main clauses.
The man went up to the 86th floor and he jumped.
His paintings weren't selling, and he had money problems.
Two main clauses linked together are 'co-ordinate clauses'.
When the subject is the same in both clauses, we can leave it out of the second one.
The man went up to the 86th floor and (he) jumped.
A gust of wind caught him and (it) blew him back into the building.
NOTE
a For ways of punctuating two main clauses,• 56(2).
b As well as the subject, we can leave out the auxiliary to avoid repeating it.
I've peeled the potatoes and (I've) washed them.
He was taken to hospital and (he was) examined.
c We can join more than two clauses. Usually and comes only before the last one.
He took the lift up, found a convenient window and jumped.
We can also use or, but and so in co-ordinate clauses.
We can take a taxi or (we can) wait for a bus. • 245
He jumped off the 86th floor but (he) survived. • 246
There was a show going out, so they asked him some questions. • 247
NOTE
In informal English and can also mean 'but' or 'so' depending on the context.
He jumped off and survived. (= but)
The doctors found nothing wrong with him and sent him home. (= so)
c
The two clauses can be separate sentences.
The man went up to the 86th floor. And he jumped.
He jumped. But then something amazing happened.
d
And, or and but can also join phrases or words.
The painter and the interviewer had a chat. • 13
The man was shaken but unhurt. • 202(2,3)
2 Sub clauses
a
b
c
Sometimes one clause can be part of another.
A gust of wind caught him as he fell.
He admitted that he'd changed his mind.
Here as he fell and that he'd changed his mind are 'subordinate clauses' or
sub clauses. In a sub clause we can use because, when, if, that etc.
The word order in the sub clause is the same as in the main clause.
He admitted that he'd changed his mind.
NOT He admitted that he his mind had changed.
A sub clause is part of the main clause, in the same way as a phrase is.
For example, it can be an adverbial or an object.
Adverbial: A gust of wind caught him on the way down.
• 248 A gust of wind caught him as he fell.
Object: He admitted his mistake.
• 262(1) He admitted that he'd changed his mind.