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Subordinate Clause




A dependent clause (or '''subordinate clause''') cannot stand alone as a sentence. It usually begins with a Subordinating Conjunction or, in the case of an adverb or adjective clause ( See Below ), a Relative Pronoun . A sentence with an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses is referred to as a '' Complex Sentence ''. One with two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses is referred to as a '' Compound-complex Sentence ''.


EXAMPLES

  • My sister cried because she scraped her knee. (complex sentence)

  • ---Subjects: My sister, she

  • ---Predicates: cried, scraped her knee

  • ---Subordinating conjunction: because


  • When they told me I won the contest, I cried, but I didn't faint.
    --(compound-complex sentence)

  • ---Subjects: they, I, I, I

  • ---Predicates: told me, won the contest, cried, didn't faint

  • ---Subordinating conjunctions: When, that (understood)

  • ---Coordinating conjunction: but


The above sentence actually contains two dependent clauses. "When they told me" is one; the other is "(that) I won the contest." The "that" is understood to precede the "I won" and functions as a subordinating conjunction.