Here's a breakdown:
Subordinate Clause:
* Dependent: It relies on an independent clause for its meaning.
* Incomplete: It does not express a complete thought on its own.
* Contains a subject and verb: Just like an independent clause, it has a subject performing an action.
* Connects to the independent clause: This connection is made through a subordinating conjunction (e.g., because, although, while, if, since, when) or a relative pronoun (e.g., who, whom, whose, which, that).
Example:
* Independent Clause: The dog barked.
* Subordinate Clause: because he saw a squirrel.
Combined Sentence: The dog barked because he saw a squirrel.
Identifying a Subordinate Clause:
Look for these clues:
* Subordinating conjunctions: The words listed above (because, although, while, etc.) introduce subordinate clauses.
* Relative pronouns: Words like "who," "which," and "that" also introduce subordinate clauses.
* Incomplete thought: The clause cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Types of Subordinate Clauses:
There are different types of subordinate clauses, including:
* Adjective clauses: They modify a noun or pronoun. (e.g., "The car that is red is mine.")
* Adverb clauses: They modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb. (e.g., "He left because he was tired.")
* Noun clauses: They act as nouns in the sentence. (e.g., "What he said was very interesting.")
Understanding subordinate clauses helps you analyze sentence structure and improve your writing.