11 structures · CEFR A2–C1
English clauses
A clause is a sentence living inside another sentence. Relative clauses — who, which, that — add information about a noun without starting a new sentence, and they are the structure that turns short, correct, choppy English into English that sounds fluent. Noun clauses do the same job in the subject or object slot: "what I need is time".
Common clauses mistakes
Every one of these is a sentence Indian-English speakers genuinely produce — not a textbook example.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
The man who he called me is my uncle. | The man who called me is my uncle. "Who" is already the subject, so the extra "he" has nothing to do. Defining relative clauses → |
My brother, that lives in Pune, is a doctor. | My brother, who lives in Pune, is a doctor. A clause between commas cannot use "that" — it takes who or which. Non-defining relative clauses → |
The man called me is waiting. | The man who called me is waiting. Here "who" is the subject of "called", so it cannot be dropped. The book I bought → |
The letter writing yesterday was lost. | The letter written yesterday was lost. The letter did not write — it was written, so it takes the third form. The man standing there → |
I think that is he right. | I think that he is right. After "that", the clause keeps normal word order — subject then verb. I think that… → |
I know what does he want. | I know what he wants. Inside a statement there is no "does" and no swap. I know what he wants → |
He asked me that I am coming. | He asked me if I was coming. A yes/no question is reported with "if", not "that". I asked if / whether… → |
Because he was late. He missed the train. | Because he was late, he missed the train. A "because" clause cannot stand alone as a sentence. Adverb clauses → |
All 11 clauses structures
Grouped by CEFR band so you can start where you actually are, rather than at the top.
A2 · Everyday
1 structure at this level.
B1 · Independent
5 structures at this level.
- Defining relative clausesB1Say exactly which person or thing you mean
- The book I boughtB1Drop the relative pronoun where English drops it
- I know what he wantsB1Put a question word inside a statement
- I asked if / whether…B1Report a yes/no question
- Adverb clausesB1Attach a reason, a time or a contrast to a sentence
B2 · Confident
3 structures at this level.
C1 · Fluent
2 structures at this level.
Dimmed tiles are structures whose example bank is still being written. The explanation and the mistake are there; the sentences are not, yet.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns clauses into practice you can actually do: a Hindi sentence, your English answer, and one correction at a time.
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