Clauses

Clause vs. Sentence

• A clause
  • may stand alone as a sentence.   The leaves were colorful.
  • may be part of another clause:
    • as the subject: That the leaves were so colorful was surprising.
    • as a complement to the verb: We saw that the leaves were colorful.
    • as a modifier to a noun (a dependent of the noun): The leaves which were colorful lay on the ground.
  • may be a coordinate of and, but or or:
    • We saw that the leaves were colorful and that they were falling.
    • We don't know exactly what causes the color change or why they fall.
• A sentence
  • may be composed of one or more clauses and ideas.
  • includes punctuation, which clarifies how we interpret added information (linked words, quoted speech, nonrestrictive clauses, add-on comments.
  • is mostly a concept of writing. 
  • may be artfully composed for poetic or emotional impact. 
  • is usually part of a larger piece of writing or verbal exchange.  See  Spoken vs. Written