3.8.3

Main & Subordinate Clauses

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The Main Clause

A clause is a string of words that contains a subject and a verb.

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Main clause

  • A main clause is a clause that contains a subject, verb and an object. Main clauses make sense on their own.
    • E.g. I like bananas.
      • 'I' is the subject.
      • 'like' is the verb.
      • 'bananas' is the object.
  • A main clause is also known as an independent clause.
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Main clause examples

  • I am a dog.
  • I run home.
  • I use Seneca.

Subordinate Clause

A subordinate clause is one that relies on a main clause to make sense. A subordinate clause is also known as a dependent clause.

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Subordinate clause

  • A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb and adds extra information to the sentence.
    • E.g. I sat on a fence when I went to the park.
      • The "when I went to the park" is the subordinate clause.
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Subordinate with main clause

  • A subordinate clause needs to be attached to a main clause because it cannot make sense on its own.
    • E.g. After she noticed it was missing… (What happened?)

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1Spelling

2Punctuation

3Grammar

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