Coordinate Clause for Dummies

Coordinate Clause is a term used in grammar to describe a specific structure in sentences. It represents a group of words that together form a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. In simpler terms, it is a group of words that make sense on its own and can be considered as a separate sentence.

To understand what a coordinate clause means, we firstly need to understand what a clause is. A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject (the person or thing that the sentence is about) and a predicate (the action or description about the subject). So, a clause is like a little sentence within a bigger sentence.

Now, let's break down the term "coordinate clause." The word "coordinate" means that two or more things are of equal importance or are working together in a sentence. And a clause, as we learned earlier, is a group of words that forms a complete thought.

So, when we talk about a coordinate clause, we are referring to a specific kind of clause that is connected to another clause of equal importance or similar importance in a sentence. This connection is usually done using coordinating conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or."

To make it clearer, let's look at an example! Imagine we have the following sentence:
"I like to swim, and I like to ride my bike."

In this sentence, "I like to swim" is a clause, and it can stand on its own as a complete thought. "I like to ride my bike" is also a clause that can be a separate sentence. However, when we connect these two clauses with the coordinating conjunction "and," they become a coordinate clause. It means that both ideas are equally important, and together they form a complete thought.

To sum it up, a coordinate clause is a group of words that make sense on its own, and it is connected to another clause of equal importance using coordinating conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or." It allows us to combine two related thoughts or ideas into one sentence.