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[Sashadroogie]

How would you analyse the clauses in this sentence?

The common belief that the tomato is a vegetable is false.

[Qaaolchoura]

"The common belief is false." = main clause
"The tomato is a vegetable." = dependent clause

The only tricky part is for Americans. How do we analyze anything without a "z"?

~Q

[Sashadroogie]

Can you come into my parlour and provide more detail please? In what way is it dependent exactly?

[johnslat]

Dear Sasha,

The common belief that the tomato is a vegetable is false.

I agree with Qaaolchoura. I'd just add that it's a complex sentence and that the dependent clause (i.e. that the tomato is a vegetable) is an adjective clause.
And since you wrote "clauses," I'd change the terminology: "The common belief is false" = independent clause (i.e. sentence.)

So, the only question left would seem to be this - Is it a fruit or a berry?

Regards,
John

P.S. Tomatoes used to be also called "love apples" (pomme d'amour)

P.P.S. Dependent clause are so called because although they have subjects and verbs (as independent clauses do) they don't have a "complete idea" and therefore cannot "stand alone." they must be part of a complex sentence, dependent upon the independent clause.

[Sashadroogie]

Dear Johnslat

Interesting... But why an adjective clause?


Sasha

[Xie Lin]

[Sashadroogie]

But does it? And don't adjectival clauses have relative pronouns or adverbs?

[Xie Lin]

[Sashadroogie]

I love 'that'. I'm just not convinced it's a relative pronoun here. If it were, it would be interchangable with 'which', surely?

'The common belief which the tomato is a vegetable is false.'

Hmmmm...

[fluffyhamster]

Is the following helpful? (From the LSGSWE (Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English)).