The Main and Subordinate Clause

1. Clauses Why learn about them? Learning about clauses helps us to determine whether we have written a complete sentence .

2. Essentially, writing (and speech!) is all about action . We write to explain what, when, how and why things happen. We also consider thoughts and feelings to be actions.

3. The Main Clause The main clause (sometimes called an independent clause ) must contain: subject + verb The subject is involved in the action The verb is the action

4. Consider this sentence… Diane kicked the habit. Q. Where is the subject and where is the verb ? Diane kicked MAIN CLAUSE The sentence expresses a complete thought It contains a subject and a verb EVERY SENTENCE MUST HAVE ONE.

5. The Subordinate Clause Whenever you place a subordinate conjunction in front of a subject and a verb you will no longer have a complete thought. The subordinate clause is sometimes referred to as a dependent clause .

6. Subordinate Conjunctions after although as because before even if even though if in order that once provided that rather than since so that than that though unless until when whenever where whereas wherever whether while why Task: t ry putting any of the above words in front of Diane kicked the habit .

7. After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad… So what happened? Did she eat it or throw it in the bin? Until Aadesh has his first cup of coffee… What did Aadesh do when he finished his coffee? Provided that the baby sleeps in the afternoon… So what happens if the baby sleeps in the afternoon? Some examples…

8. Spot the incomplete sentence The marble floors in the airport are glossy and reflect the light. If floors reflect the light, they are often made of marble. Because airports often have marble floors which reflect the light . While robins are fighting in the garden, other birds eat the food. In the garden, as the robins fight and other birds eat. Other birds are eating in the garden, but the robins are fighting.      

9. Attaching a Subordinate Clause to a Main Clause When you place a subordinate clause in fron t of a main clause we use a comma like this… While robins are fighting in the garden , other birds eat the food. subordinate clause + , + main clause

10. Attaching a Subordinate Clause to a Main Clause When you place a subordinate clause at the end you will generally use no punctutation like this… Susan was late for her history exam because she missed her bus. main clause subordinate clause