Subordinate clauses

A clause is …
a group of words that could be a sentence.

It has …
a subject – it is about something.
a verb – the subject does, feels or is
something, or something is done to it.
 Subordinate clauses
A clause is a clause and not a sentence when…

it joins with another clause or phrase to

make one sentence.

For example here are two sentences.…

He did not hunt. It was raining.

 Subordinate clauses
If I join these two sentences with a connective
they become one longer sentence, with two
clauses.
He did not hunt because it was raining.

CLAUSE CLAUSE

connective
because is a subordinating conjunction
 Subordinate clauses
A main clause gives the main point of a sentence.
A subordinate clause provides extra information.

He did not hunt because it was raining.

MAIN CLAUSE – the SUBORDINATE CLAUSE –

main point of my extra information linked
sentence. to the main clause.
The conjunction shows the relationship
between the two clauses.
 Subordinate clauses
Remember, the subordinate information can come at
the start of a sentence. If a sentence starts with a
subordinating conjunction (connective), it is starting
with the subordinate clause.
subordinating conjunction a comma is often used
between clauses
As the sun was setting, the tiger stalked her prey.

SUBORDINATE CLAUSE – MAIN CLAUSE – the

extra information linked main point.
to the main clause.
 Subordinate clauses
A subordinate clause can also be embedded within a
main clause. The extra information is added in the
middle of the main clause. Note the two comma trick.

MAIN CLAUSE begins MAIN CLAUSE ends

The tiger, who was ravenous, stalked her prey.

SUBORDINATE CLAUSE – 2 commas used to

extra information linked separate the embedded
to the main clause. subordinate clause.
 Main Clause
• A main clause contains a subject performing a
verb.
• Every sentence contains at least one main
clause.
• The main clause is the most important idea in
the sentence. It expresses a complete thought
Example
and so makes sense on its own.
Lola sang beautifully. Clause
• The clauses we looked at earlier are all main
The boys kicked the football. Clause
clauses.
The wind howled fiercely. Clause
 Subordinate Clause
• A subordinate clause gives extra information
about the main clause.
• It can come before or after the main clause but
doesn’t make sense on its own.
The subordinate
clause is less
important, it just
The main clause gives the reader a
contains the bit more detail.
most important
idea in the
sentence.
 Subordinate Clause
• For example: This is the main clause...
It contains a subject (Harriet) performing a
verb (caught) and makes sense on its own

Although she was clumsy, Harriet caught the netball.

 Subordinate Clause
• For example: This is the main clause...
It contains a subject (Harriet) performing a
verb (caught) and makes sense on its own

Although she was clumsy, Harriet caught the netball.

This is a subordinate clause... It is not

a complete idea and doesn’t make
sense without being attached to the
main clause.
 Main or Subordinate Clause?
Decide whether the underlined section is a main clause or a
subordinate clause
Example MC SC
Emery arrived after the school bell had rung. 
Although
Although II waswas terrified,
terrified, II crept
crept up
up the
the creaking
creaking staircase.
staircase. 
It
It was raining so we cancelled our picnic.
It was
was raining
raining so
so we
we cancelled
cancelled ourour picnic.
picnic. 
Despite
Despite it
it being
being -2°C
-2°C outside,
outside, Frank
Frank still
still didn’t
didn’t bring
bring his
his
Despite
Despite
jumper it
it
to being
being -2°C
-2°C
school! outside,
outside, Frank
Frank still
still didn’t
didn’t bring
bring his
his
jumper
jumper
jumper to
to school!
to school!
school! 
On
On Fridays
Fridays we
we normally
normally go
go swimming
swimming but
but today
today II forgot
forgot my
my
On
On
kit. Fridays
Fridays we
we normally
normally go
go swimming
swimming but
but today
today I
I forgot
forgot my
my
kit.
kit.
kit. 
The
The fox
fox slinked
slinked through
through the
the dense
dense undergrowth
undergrowth and
and pounced
pounced
The
The
on fox
fox
the slinked
slinked through
through
unsuspecting the
the
mouse. dense
dense undergrowth
undergrowth and
and pounced
pounced
on
on the
on the
unsuspecting
the unsuspecting
mouse.
unsuspecting mouse.
mouse. 