grammar In linguistics, the grammar of a natural language is its set of structure, structural constraints on speakers' or writers' composition of clause (linguistics), clauses, phrases, and words. The term can also refer to the study of such constraint ...

, a dependent statement is a statement converted into a noun clause, normally, in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, by the addition of ''that'' at the beginning, and made dependent on another clause (e.g. as subject or object). For example, the statement ''I had saved his brother'' appears as object of the verb ''knew'' in the following quotation: I would he knew ''that I had saved his brother!'' (Shakespeare). The statement ''They were unprepared'' is made subject of ''is'' in the following: ''That they were unprepared'' is obvious. Further examples: Methoughts ''that I had broken from the Tower'' (Shakespeare). His majesty hath straitly given in charge ''that no man shall have private conference, of what degree soever, with his brother'' (Shakespeare). You shall confess ''that you are both deceived'' (Shakespeare).

Bibliography

* Onions, C.T. (1971). ''Modern English Syntax''.

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...

. p. 47. English grammar {{ling-stub