Clauses Are Important Clauses assist you in directing the reader's attention so that your phrases are comprehended. Correct use can also assist you in avoiding the dreaded sentence fragments and run-on phrases. The importance of this clause lies in its ability to attract the reader's attention towards the topic at hand. It does this by introducing a question or by beginning with a subordinating conjunction such as because, since, while, after which, or despite which. This clause can be used to connect two ideas within the same sentence as well as one idea followed by another idea within the same paragraph. It can also link different parts of a single idea (i.e., a main clause followed by a sub-clause). For example, "Since clauses often introduce reasons or explanations, they are useful for making points clear or justifying actions/decisions." Or, "Because clauses often introduce reasons or explanations, they are useful for making points clear or justifying actions/decisions." Both sentences contain a Since clause. Run-on sentences are sentences where several independent clauses have been joined together without any punctuation. These sentences are difficult to read and understand. They should be avoided because they are not coherent. A complete sentence is a sentence that contains a subject and a verb. All subjects must be in noun form.