Here's a breakdown of subordinate clauses and how they're classified:
* What they are: Subordinate clauses are dependent clauses, meaning they can't stand alone as a complete sentence. They need an independent clause (main clause) to make sense.
* How they function: They provide additional information, usually modifying a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb in the main clause.
* How they're classified: We categorize subordinate clauses based on their function within the sentence. Here are the common types:
1. Adjective Clauses:
* Function: Modify a noun or pronoun.
* Signal words: Relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
* Examples:
* The book that I borrowed is very interesting. (modifies "book")
* The house where I grew up is on the corner. (modifies "house")
2. Adverb Clauses:
* Function: Modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.
* Signal words: Subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since, while, if, unless, after, before, until, etc.).
* Examples:
* Because it was raining, we stayed inside. (modifies "stayed")
* I was tired although I had slept well. (modifies "tired")
3. Noun Clauses:
* Function: Act as a noun in the sentence (subject, object, object of a preposition).
* Signal words: Pronouns (who, what, whoever, whatever, etc.) or conjunctions (that, whether, if, how, why, etc.).
* Examples:
* What you said is true. (subject of the sentence)
* I know why she left. (object of the verb "know")
Important Note: There are many other types of subordinate clauses, like *comparative clauses* and *absolute clauses*. The key is to understand their function within the larger sentence.