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Criteria vs Clause - What's the difference?

criteria | clause |

As nouns the difference between criteria and clause

is that criteria is while clause is (grammar|informal) a group of two or more words which include a subject and any necessary predicate (the predicate also includes a verb, conjunction, or a preposition) to begin the clause; however, this clause is not considered a sentence for colloquial purposes.

As a verb clause is

(shipping) to amend (a bill of lading or similar document).

criteria

English

Noun

(head)
  • * (seeCites)
  • (nonstandard, proscribed) A single criterion.
  • * (seeCites)
  • Usage notes

    * The word criteria'' is often treated as singular or even uncountable, but these uses are usually still considered incorrect; the standard singular form is ''criterion''. The standard and most common plural form is ''criteria''; less common is ''criterions''. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criterion Merriam-Webster]: "The plural ''criteria'' has been used as a singular for over half a century . Many of our examples, like the two foregoing, are taken from speech. But singular ''criteria'' is not uncommon in edited prose, and its use both in speech and writing seems to be increasing. Only time will tell whether it will reach the unquestioned acceptability of ''agenda''."[http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/criterion American Heritage: "Like the analogous etymological plurals ''agenda'' and ''data'', ''criteria is widely used as a singular form. Unlike them, however, it is not yet acceptable in that use."

    Derived terms

    * criterial

    References

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    clause

    English

    (wikipedia clause)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (rfc-sense) (grammar, informal) A group of two or more words which include a subject and any necessary predicate (the predicate also includes a verb, conjunction, or a preposition) to begin the clause; however, this clause is not considered a sentence for colloquial purposes.
  • (grammar) A verb along with its subject and their modifiers. If a clause provides a complete thought on its own, then it is an independent (superordinate) clause; otherwise, it is (subordinate) dependent.
  • *
  • However, Coordination facts seem to undermine this hasty conclusion: thus, consider the following:
    (43)      [Your sister could go to College], but [would she get a degree''?]
    The second (italicised) conjunct is a Clause''' containing an inverted Auxiliary, ''would''. Given our earlier assumptions that inverted Auxiliaries are in C, and that C is a constituent of S-bar, it follows that the italicised '''Clause''' in (43) must be an S-bar. But our familiar constraint on Coordination tells us that only constituents belonging to ''the same Category'' can be conjoined. Since the second '''Clause''' in (43) is clearly an S-bar, then it follows that the first '
    Clause must also be an S-bar — one in which the C(omplementiser) position has been left empty.
  • (legal) A separate part of a contract, a will or another legal document.
  • Usage notes

    In When it got dark, they went back into the house'', “''When it got dark” is a dependent clause within the complete sentence. The independent clause "they went back into the house" could stand alone as a sentence, whereas the dependent clause could not.

    Derived terms

    (types of grammatical clauses) * adjective clause * adverbial clause * appositive clause * concessive clause * comment clause * comparative clause * coordinate clause * defining relative clause * dependent clause, subordinate clause * independent clause, main clause, superordinate clause * finite clause * if clause, conditional mood, conditional clause * nondefining relative clause * non-finite clause * noun clause, nominal clause * relative clause * restrictive clause * verbless clause (grammatical terms) * clause element * clause function * subclause (part of a legal document) * noncompete clause

    Verb

    (claus)
  • (shipping) To amend (a bill of lading or similar document).
  • *
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