SENTENCES WITH MULTIPLE CLAUSE

Many sentences in English have more than one clause. (A clause is a group of words containing
a subject and a verb). Whenever you find a sentence on the TOEFL text with more than one
clause, you need to make sure that every subject has a verb and every verb has a subject. Next
you need to check that the various clauses in the sentence are correctly joined. There are various
ways to join clauses in English. Certain patterns appear frequently in English and on the
TOEFL text. You should be very familiar with these patterns.

SKILL 6: USE COORDINATE CONNECTORS CORRECTLY

When you have two clauses in an English sentence, you must connect the two clauses correctly.
One way to connect two clauses two clauses is to use and, but, or, so, or yet between the clauses.

Tom is singing, and Paul is dancing.

Tom is tall, but Paul is short.

Tom must write the letter, or Paul will do it.

Tom told a joke, so Paul laughed.

Tom is tired, yet he is not going to sleep.

In each of these examples, there are two clauses that are correctly joined with a coordinate
conjunction and, but, or, so, or yet, and a comma (,).

The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in the
Structure section of the TOEFL test.

Example I
A power failure occurred, _____ the lamps went out.
(A) then
(B) so
(C) later
(D) next

In this example you should notice quickly that there are two clauses, a power failure occurred
and the lamps went out. This sentence needs a connector to join the two clauses. Then, later,
and next are not connectors, so answers (A), (C), and (D) are not correct. The best answer is
answer (B) because so can connect two clauses.
 The following chat lists the coordinate connectors and the sentence pattern used with
them:

COORDINATE CONNECTORS

and but or so yet

S V, coordinate connector S V
She laughed, but she wanted to cry.

EXERCISE 6: Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the
subjects once and the verb twice. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are
correct (C) or incorrect (I).
C 1. The software should be used on an IBM computer, and this computer is an
IBM.
I 2. The rain clouds can be seen in the distance, but no has fallen.
3. They are trying to sell their house, it has been on the market for two months.
4. So the quality of the print was not good, I changed the toner cartridge.
5. The lifeguard will warm you about the riptides, or she may require you to get
out of the water.
6. You should have finished the work yesterday, yet is not close to being finidhed
today.
7. The phone rang again and again, so the receptionist was not able to get much
work done.
8. The missing wallet was found, but the cash and credit card had been removed.
9. Or you can drive your car for another 2,000 miles, you can get it fixed.
10. The chemist was awarded the Nobel Prize, he flew to Europe to accept it.
SKILL 7: USE ADVERB TIME AND CAUSE CONNECTORS CORRECTLY
Sentences with adverb clauses have two basic patterns in English. Study the clauses and
connectors in the following sentences:
I will sign the check before you leave.
Before you leave, I will sign the check.
In each of these examples, there are two clauses: you leave and I will sign the check, and the
clause you leave is an adverb time clause because it is introduced with the connector before. In
the first example the connector before comes in the middle of the sentence, and no comma (,)
is used. In the second example the connector before comes at the beginning of the sentence. In
this pattern, when the connector comes at the beginning of the sentence, a comma (,) is required
in the middle of the sentence.
The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in the Structure
section of the TOEFL test.

Example
_____ was late, I missed the appointment.
(A) I
(B) Because
(C) The train
(D) Since he

In this example you should recognize easily that there is a verb, was, that needs a subject. There
is also another clause. I missed the appointment. If you choose answer (A) or answer (C), you
will have a subject for the verb was, but you will not have a connector to join the two clauses.
Because you need a connector to join two clauses, answer (A) and (C) are incorrect. Answer
(B) is the best answer because there is a subject, he, for the verb was, and there is a connector,
since, to join the two clauses.
 The following chat lists adverb time and cause connectors and the sentence patterns
used with them:
ADVERB TIME AND CAUSE CONNECTORS
TIME CAUSE
after as soon as once when as not that
as before since whenever because since
as long as by the time until while inasmuch as

S V, coordinate connector S V
Teresa went insiite because it was raining.

coordinate connector S V, S V
Because it was raining, Teresa wet inside.

EXERCISE 7: Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the
subject once and the verb twice. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are correct
(C) or incorrect (I).
C 1. Since the bank closes in less than an hour, the deposits need to be tallied.
I 2. Their background are thoroughly investigated before are admitted to the
organization.
3. The citizens are becoming more and more incensed about traffic accidents
whenever the accidents occur at that intersection.
4. The ground had been prepared, the seedlings were carefully planted.
5. We can start the conference now that all the participants have arrived.
6. The building quite vulnerable to damage until the storm windows are installed.
7. Once the address label for the package is typing, can be sent to the mail room.
8. Because the recent change in work shifts was not posted, several workers
missed their shifts.
9. The mother is going to be quite upset with her son as long he misbehaves so
much.
10. Inasmuch as all the votes have not yet been counted the outcome of the
election cannot be announced.
SKILL 8: USE OTHER ADVERB CONNECTORS CORRECTLY
Adverb clauses can express the ideas of time and cause, as you saw in Skill 7: adverb clauses
can also express a number of other ideas, such as contrast, condition, manner, and place.
Because there clauses are adverb clauses, they have the same structure as the time and clauses
in Skill 7. Study the following examples:
I will leave at 7:00 if I am ready.
Although I was late, I managed to catch the train.
In each of examples, there are two clauses that are correctly joined with adverb connectors. In
the first sentence the adverb condition connector if comes in the middle of the sentence. In the
second sentence the adverb contrast connectors although comes at the beginning of the
sentence, and a comma (,) is used in the middle of the sentence.
The following example shows a way that this sentence pattern can be tested in the
Structure section of the TOEFL test.

Example
You will get a good grade on the exam provided _____
(A) studying
(B) study
(C) to study
(D) you study

In this example you should quickly notice the adverb condition connector provided. This
connector comes in the middle of the sentence, because it is a connector, it must be followed
by a subject and a verb. The best answer to this question is answer (D), which contains the
subject and verb you study.
The following chart lists the adverb contrast, condition, manner, and place connectors and the
sentence patterns used with them:
OTHER ADVERB CONNECTIRS
CONDITION CONTRAST MANNER PLACE
if although as where
in case even though in that wherever
provided though
providing while
unless whereas
whether

S V, adverb connector S V
Bob went to school even though he felt sick.

adverb connector S V, S V
Even though Bob felt sick, he went to school
NOTE: A comma is often used in the middle of the sentence with a contrast connector.
The smith family arrived at 2:00, while the Jones family arrived an hour later.
EXERCISE 8: Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the
subject once and the verb twice. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are correct
(C) or incorrect (I).

C 1. It is impossible to enter that program if you lack experience as a teacher

I 2. The commandant left strict orders about the passes, several soldiers left the
post anyway.
3. No one is admitted to the academy unless he or she education requirements.
4. While most students turned the assignment in on time, a few asked for an
extension.
5. I will take you wherever need to go to complete the registration procedures.
6. I will wait here in the airport with you whether the plane leaves on time or not.
7. Providing the envelope is postmarked by this Friday, your application still
acceptable.
8. As the nurse already explained all visitors must leave the hospital room now.
9. This exam will more difficult than usual in that it covers two chapter instead of
one.
10. Though snow had been falling all day long, everyone got to the church on time
for the wedding.
EXERCISE (Skill 6-8): Underline the subject once and the verb twice in each of the following
sentences. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. Until the registrar makes a decision about your status, you must stay in an
unclassified category.
2. Or the bills can be paid by mail by the first of the month.
3. the parents left the phone number with the baby-sister in case a problem with
the children.
4. The furniture will be delivered as soon it is paid for.
5. Whenever you want to hold the meeting we will schedule it.
6. The government was overthrown in a revolution, the king has not returned to
his homeland.
7. Whereas most of the documents are complete, this form still needs to be
notarized.
8. Trash will be collected in the morning, so you should put the trash cans out
tonight.
9. It is impossible for the airplane to take off while is snowing so hard.
10. We did not go out to dinner tonight eventhough I would have preferred not to
cook.
TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 6-8): Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best
completes the sentence.
1. The president of the U.S. appoints 5. Case studies are the target of much
the cabinet members, ____ skepticism in the scientific
appointments are subject to Senate community, ____ used extensively
approval. by numerous researchers.
(A) their (A) they are
(B) with their (B) are
(C) because their (C) yet they
(D) but their (D) yet they are

2. The prisoners were prevented from 6. According to the hypothesis in the

speaking to reporters because ____ study, the monarchs pick up the
(A) not wanting the story in the magnetic field of the ____ migrate
papers. by following magnetic fields.
(B) the story in the papers the (A) target monarchs
superintendent did not want (B) target since monarchs
(C) the public to hear the story (C) target since monarchs are
(D) the superintendent did not want (D) target
the story in the papers.
7. ____ show the relations among
3. Like Thomas Berger’s fictional neurons, they do not preclude the
character Little Big Man, possibility that other aspects are
Lauderdale managed to find important.
himself where ____ of important (A) Neural theories
events took place. (B) A neural theory
(A) it was an extraordinary number (C) Although neural theories
(B) there was an extraordinary (D) However neural theories
number
(C) an extraordinary number 8. ____ or refinanced, the lender will
(D) an extraordinary number generally require setting up an
existed escrow account to ensure the
payment of property taxes and
4. ____ sucked groundwater from homeowner’s insurance.
below some parts of the city have (A) A home is
begun to sink as much as ten inches (B) A home is bought
annually. (C) When a home
(A) Pumps have (D) When a home is bought
(B) As pumps have
(C) So pumps have
(D) With pumps
9. If ultraviolet radiation enters the 10. Among human chromosomes, the
Earth’s atmosphere, ____ generally Y chromosome is unusual ____
blocked by the ozone concentrated most of the chromosome does not
in the atmosphere. participate in meiotic
(A) it recombination.
(B) it is (A) in
(C) so it is (B) so
(D) then it (C) and
(D) in that
TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 1-8): Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best
completes the sentence.
1. The three basic chord in ____ the 5. While in reality Alpha Centauri is a
tonic, the dominant, and the triple star; ____ to the naked eye to
subdominant. be a single stat.
(A) functional harmony (A) it appears
(B) functional harmony is (B) but it appears
(C) functional harmony are (C) appears
(D) functional harmony they are (D) despite it

2. ____ Hale Telescope, at the 6. The Sun’s gravity severely

Palomar Observatory in southern distorted the path of the comet
California, scientists can ____ entered its wildly erratic orbit
photograph object several billion around Jupiter:
light years away; (A) it
(A) The (B) when
(B) With the (C) after the comet came into it
(C) They use the (D) once the comet
(D) It is the
7. Each object ____ Jupiter’s
3. Without the proper card installed magnetic field is deluged with
inside the computer, ____ electrical charges.
impossible to run a graphical (A) enters
program. (B) it enters
(A) is definitely (C) entering
(B) because of (D) enter
(C) it is
(D) is 8. As its name suggests, the Prairie
Wetlands Resource Center ____
4. The charter for the Louisiana the protection of wetland on the
lottery was the computer, ____ prairies of the Dakotas, Montana,
impossible to run a graphical Minnesota, and Nebraska.
program. (A) it focuses
(A) is definitely (B) focuses on
(B) because of (C) focusing
(C) it is (D) to focus on
(D) is
9. One of the largest and most 10. ____ creation of such a community
powerful birds of prey in the world, was a desirable step, the requisite
____ a six-foot wingspan and legs political upheaval had to be
and talons roughly the size of a accepted
man’s arms and legs. (A) Since the
(A) so the harpy has (B) The
(B) the harpy having (C) Later, the
(C) with the harpy having (D) It was the
(D) the harpy has