Sentences are built from smaller predications. A clause is a structural unit that typically contains a predicate and its arguments, minimally something like a subject and a verb, whether or not it stands alone as a full sentence.

Independent clauses can form complete sentences; dependent clauses function inside larger structures as complements, modifiers, or adverbial adjuncts. Relative clauses, complement clauses, and adverbial clauses expand what a single clause can express. Languages differ in how they mark clause boundaries and dependency.

Clause-level analysis is central to syntax teaching and parsing technology. Misidentifying clause boundaries leads to punctuation errors in writing and to attachment ambiguities in processing. Field grammars carefully define clause types for each language under description.

• Unit with a predicate and its core arguments
• May be independent or dependent
• Includes relative, complement, and adverbial types
• Basic building block of sentence structure