Types of Subordinate Clauses
DIRECTIONS: Read through this and do the exercises at the end. Use
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L. Nabulsi
Noun Clauses
• Noun clauses can refer to a single thing without specifying
what it is. A noun clause is a set of words which, altogether,
acts as one noun. They have a subject and a verb, but very
often the subject is a word like "what" or "who" and has no
meaning without the rest of the noun clause. For example,
in the sentence "I don't know what he told you," "what he
told you" is a noun clause. The subject of the clause is
"what," which has no meaning in the sentence without the
rest of the clause. The set, "what he told you," acts as a
single noun --- the object of the verb "know."
•
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_8190474_typessubordinate-clauses.html#ixzz2ldkego6T
Adjective Clauses
• Use adjective clauses to describe your nouns. An
adjective clause modifies a noun or a verb, just
like a single-word adjective. For example, in the
sentence "The table, which was green, wobbled,"
"which was green" modifies the noun "table," so it
is an adjective clause. This type of subordinate
clause can begin with an adverb like "where" or
"when," but don't be fooled --- it's still an
adjective clause. In "I wanted to go yesterday,
when it was sunny," "when it was sunny" is an
adjective clause because it describes "yesterday"
and not the main verb of the sentence.
Adverb Clauses
• In "When I'm 64," the title of the song is an adverb clause. An adverb
clause describes the action in the independent clause. These can be a
little harder to spot than the other two types of subordinate clauses,
because they don't always immediately follow the verb, the way a normal
adverb usually does. In the sentence "Sally wrapped the snake around her
arm because she wanted to scare her brother," "because she wanted to
scare her brother" is an adverb clause. It doesn't come right after the verb
"wrapped," but that's still what it's describing --- it tells why Sally did what
she did. Adverb clauses answer questions like "where?", "why?", "when?"
or "in what circumstances?"
• Sometimes, adverb clauses are easier to see if you think of them as
describing the conditions for the independent clause. In the sentence
"Let's throw tomatoes at him when he sings off-key," "when he sings offkey" describes the whole idea of "let's throw tomatoes at him," so it's an
adverb clause.
• Usage
Usage
• Where do you find subordinate clauses in sentences?
Everywhere. They can come before the subject
("Because it was hot, we carried fans."); after the
subject ("Alice, who was hot, carried a fan."); or after
the object ("People carry fans when it is this hot.").
They can act as the subject ("What I saw was bigger
than an elephant.") or as the object ("I see what you're
talking about."). Use them to add variety and richness
to your language, instead of using the same structure
for each sentence you write.
•
DIRECTIONS: USE THE FOLLOWING STEPS TO HELP YOU BOTH
RECOGNIZE AND WRITE COMPLEX SENTENCES.
HOW TO WRITE COMPLEX SENTENCES
Things to Know
Things You'll Need
Definition and example
•
An independent clause
• Has a subject and a predicate;
can stand alone as a sentence.
•
A dependent clause
•
•
Commas
Read more:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2213931_
write-complexsentences.html#ixzz2ldnIWdzy
• Begins with a subordinate
conjunction, has a subject and
predicate but can not stand alone
as a sentence; is a sentence
fragment
• Commas separate the dependent
clause from the independent
when the dependent clause
BEGINS the sentence.
Step One
• 1 Add a subordinating conjunction to the dependent
clause. Frequently used subordinating conjunctions
include after, if, once, unless, when, since and because.
• EXAMPLE: SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS IN RED
–
–
–
–
–
–
Since he wanted a car
Unless he gets a job
When he graduates from high school
If he gets his license
Once he makes the honor roll
After she passes the test
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2213931_writecomplex-sentences.html#ixzz2ldoJ4mD4
Step Two
• Place a comma after the dependent clause when
making a complex sentence. For example, "Although I
drove all day, I am not tired." The word "although" is a
subordinating conjunction. Note that the part of the
sentence with the subordinating conjunction is a
dependent clause and the part of the sentence after
the comma is an independent clause.
•
Read more:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2213931_write-complexsentences.html#ixzz2ldpsbRz7
Step Three
• Leave out the comma when the subordinating
conjunction comes after the dependent
clause. For example, "I am tired after driving
all day." Note that the clause that follows the
subordinating conjunction ("after") is a
dependent clause, not a complete sentence.
Read more:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2213931_writecomplex-sentences.html#ixzz2ldqm1Xru
Step Four
• Use a relative pronoun to form a complex sentence. Some
examples of relative pronouns include that, which, whose
and what. The relative pronoun introduces a dependent
clause and describes a noun or a pronoun. For example, "I
got a score of 10, which is the highest score you can get."
The first part of the sentence, the independent clause, can
stand on its own, and the second part of the sentence adds
information.
•
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2213931_writecomplex-sentences.html#ixzz2ldrNPxc6
REMEMBER
•
•
•
•
•
Relative Pronouns also form complex sentences:
'Who' refers to people
‘which' refer to things.
'that' refers to people or things
Read more:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2213931_writecomplex-sentences.html#ixzz2ldrvPoVi
REVIEW – simple sentence
A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it
expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences, subjects are in yellow, and
verbs are in green.
A. Some students like to study in the mornings.
B. Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon.
C. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day.
The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that sentence B contains a compound
subject, and sentence C contains a compound verb. Simple sentences, therefore, contain a subject
and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also contain a compound subjects or
verbs.
http://www.eslbee.com/sentences.htm
REVIEW – compound sentence
COMPOUND SENTENCE
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator.
The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Helpful hint: The
first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.) Except for very short
sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma. In the following
compound sentences, subjects are in yellow, verbs are in green, and the
coordinators and the commas that precede them are in red.
A. I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.
B. Alejandro played football, so Maria went shopping.
C. Alejandro played football, for Maria went shopping.
The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains two independent clauses, and
they are joined by a coordinator with a comma preceding it. Note how the conscious use of coordinators can
change the relationship between the clauses. Sentences B and C, for example, are identical except for the
coordinators. In sentence B, which action occurred first? Obviously, "Alejandro played football" first, and as a
consequence, "Maria went shopping. In sentence C, "Maria went shopping" first. In sentence C, "Alejandro
played football" because, possibly, he didn't have anything else to do, for or because "Maria went
shopping." How can the use of other coordinators change the relationship between the two clauses? What
implications would the use of "yet" or "but" have on the meaning of the sentence?
REVIEW Complex sentences
A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence
always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that,
who, or which. In the following complex sentences, subjects are in yellow, verbs are in green, and the
subordinators and their commas (when required) are in red.
A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.
E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying.
When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences A and D, a comma is required at the end
of the dependent clause. When the independent clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in
sentences B, C, and E, no comma is required. If a comma is placed before the subordinators in sentences B, C,
and E, it is wrong.Note that sentences D and E are the same except sentence D begins with the dependent clause
which is followed by a comma, and sentence E begins with the independent clause which contains no
comma. The comma after the dependent clause in sentence D is required, and experienced listeners of English
will often hear a slight pause there. In sentence E, however, there will be no pause when the independent clause
begins the sentence.
Identify the dependent clause by
making it BOLD
• A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to
give the teacher the last page.
B. The teacher returned the homework after she
noticed the error.
C. The students are studying because they have a
test tomorrow.
D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went
to the movies.
E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they
finished studying.
Try this quiz online
• http://eslbee.com/cgibin/quiztest.cgi?helenkeller
Work Cited
• All instructional information in this
PowerPoint was taken from
• Mitchel, Stephanie. “Types of Subordinate
Clauses.” eHow mom. 2013. WEB. 27 Nov.
2013.
Or
• Advanced Composition for Non-Native
Speakers of English
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