clause

clause — noun

1. A section within a formal written document, such as a contract or a law, that st

1.名詞
釋義

A section within a formal written document, such as a contract or a law, that states a specific rule, obligation, or condition that people must follow.

例句

Leila asked her lawyer to explain each clause in the insurance policy before signing.

collocation: 'clause in [a policy/contract]'

The employment contract contains a clause that prevents workers from sharing company secrets.

structure: 'contains a clause that [verb phrase]'

同義詞
  • provision

    A condition or stipulation within a legal document; slightly broader than clause and often implies something that must be fulfilled

  • article

    A numbered or titled section in a formal legal document, especially in constitutions or treaties

  • term

    A specific condition of an agreement, commonly used in business and commercial contracts

用法筆記

Frequently used with verbs such as 'include,' 'contain,' 'add,' 'breach,' or 'violate.' The subject is typically a document (contract, agreement, law, treaty) and the clause itself names a specific requirement or prohibition.

常見錯誤

❌The company violated a paragraph of the contract.
✅The company violated a clause of the contract.
💡A clause is a specific provision within a legal document, not the same as a paragraph.
❌Sign each clause of the agreement.
✅Sign the agreement, which contains several clauses.
💡You sign the whole document, not individual clauses.

2. In grammar, a set of words built around a verb that has its own subject, forming

2.名詞B2
釋義

In grammar, a set of words built around a verb that has its own subject, forming either a complete sentence by itself or a part of a longer sentence.

例句

The teacher showed how a complex sentence joins one main clause to one or more subordinate clauses.

main clause + subordinate clause structure

Priya studied each clause in the paragraph to check whether every sentence was complete.

用法筆記

Clauses are divided into main (independent) clauses, which can stand alone as a sentence, and subordinate (dependent) clauses, which cannot. A clause is different from a phrase: a phrase lacks a subject-verb structure.

常見錯誤

❌A phrase is the same as a clause.
✅A phrase differs from a clause because a phrase lacks a subject-verb relationship.
💡A clause must contain a subject and a verb; a phrase does not.
❌Every clause can stand alone as a complete sentence.
✅Only main clauses can stand alone; subordinate clauses depend on a main clause.
💡Subordinate clauses cannot function as independent sentences.