10 Questions
Which type of clause can convey a complete thought by itself?
Main clause
What is the main difference between main and subordinate clauses?
Main clauses are independent, while subordinate clauses rely on main clauses
Which connective is commonly used to introduce subordinate clauses?
When
What type of pronouns are commonly used as relative pronouns in connecting clauses?
Interrogative pronouns
In the sentence 'He arrived late because his alarm clock didn't ring,' what type of clause is 'because his alarm clock didn't ring'?
Subordinate clause
Which word is an example of a common subordinating conjunction used to introduce a subordinate clause?
Because
What purpose do connectives serve in linking clauses?
To link clauses together logically
'That is the house in which they spent their childhood.' What does 'in which they spent their childhood' function as in the sentence?
Relative clause
'Look over there, where he's pointing.' What type of clause is 'where he's pointing'?
'Where he's pointing' is a subordinate clause
'This is the man who bought you a car.' What role does 'who' play in the sentence?
'Who' is a relative pronoun connecting clauses
Study Notes
Main and Subordinate Clauses
Clauses are groups of related words that contain a subject and a predicate. They are used to express complete thoughts within sentences. There are two types of clauses: main clauses and subordinate clauses.
Differences between Main and Subordinate Clauses
The main difference lies in their independent versus dependent relationship with other clauses. A main clause is a standalone sentence: it can convey a complete thought by itself. On the other hand, a subordinate clause cannot function independently; it relies on a main clause to form a complete sentence.
For example:
- A group of people were watching a movie (subordinate clause) when suddenly the lights went out.
- It was raining heavily (main clause), so I decided to stay home instead of going out.
Connectives
Connectives help to link clauses together. Common connectives used with subordinate clauses include relative pronouns like who, whom, whose, which, what, where, and when. For instance:
- This is the man who bought you a car.
- Look over there, where he's pointing.
- That is the house in which they spent their childhood.
Examples
Subordinate clauses are often introduced by subordinating conjunctions such as after, although, because, before, even if, even though, if, once, since, so that, than, that, though, until, until now, unless, when, whether, whereas, while, why, etc.. For example:
- He arrived late because his alarm clock didn't ring.
- She was afraid even if she knew he would be forgiven.
Definition
A main clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and verb and can stand alone as a separate sentence. For instance, "I am reading a book.".
On the other hand, a subordinate clause depends on another clause to make sense. It can act as an adjective phrase, adverb phrase, noun phrase, or whole sentence. A subordinate clause introduces necessary information that helps to specify, describe, give reasons, compare, contrast, time, place or result.
Learn about main and subordinate clauses, the differences between the two, how they are connected using connectives, and examples of their usage in sentences. Main clauses can function independently as complete sentences, while subordinate clauses rely on main clauses for context and meaning.
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