MAIN AND SUBORDINATE CLAUSES IN COMPLEX SENTENCES

MAIN AND SUBORDINATE CLAUSES IN COMPLEX SENTENCES.
AUTHOR: MAHENDIRAN V

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Is it important that a learner of English language must know about the clause or clauses?

Whether it is important or not is not a matter but if one knows about clauses he can be very good at communicative English on both spoken and written.

What is clause?
A bunch of words being under rule and expresses a thought is known as clause.
Every meaningful sentence is a clause.

There are two types of clauses such as MAIN and SUBORDINATE. A main clause shall stand alone whereas a subordinate shall not stand alone unless it is linked with a main clause in a complex sentence. Complex sentence means that a construction done by the combination of a main clause and one or more than one subordinate clauses.

Let's drill as a game to identify which is main and subordinate by framing some complex sentences constructed by main and subordinate clauses.
1. If you have a smart education this world will respect you.
2. Unless you are eager to work hard, it's hardly to succeed in your life.
3. It's better not to go out when it is raining because it's not safe.
4. Although Rocky's team didn't have good players, they won in the match.
5. While Ragu knows to answer the question, why don't you know to do, Shankar..?
6. Kumanan failed to goal the ball because the keeper of the opponent was so strong though the players were weak.
7. Though Sanjay was so tall he couldn't even bask a ball in the series.
8. Since it rained heavily yesterday the materials got moistured.
9. If I were you, I would deny to join in that team.
10. As I was committed at work I wasn't able to attend the meeting.

Read every sentence seen above and try to separate by finding which clause can stand alone and which cannot do.
In the first sentence,
1. THIS WORLD WILL RESPECT YOU - stands alone. How do we know that it is standing alone? It completes a meaning while another one is hanging, doesn't it? So that it's known as the MAIN CLAUSE or INDEPENDENT CLAUSE of this sentence.
See more...
IF YOU HAVE A SMART EDUCATION - doesn't complete a meaning unless it is supported with the main. So that it is known as the SUBORDINATE CLAUSE or DEPEND CLAUSE. Here, IF is conjunction. Only it is connecting the two different clauses.

Now you can separate the clauses in other sentences as it's done as above.

Check your answer with the key given below.
2. IT'S HARDLY TO SUCCEED IN YOUR LIFE is the main clause.
UNLESS YOU ARE EAGER TO WORK HARD is a subordinate clause. UNLESS is a conjunction here.

3. IT'S BETTER NOT TO GO OUT is the main clause. 
WHEN IT IS RAINING is a subordinate clause.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE is also another one subordinate clause. WHEN and BECAUSE are conjunctions here.

4. THEY WON IN THE MATCH is the main clause.
ALTHOUGH ROCKY'S TEAM DIDN'T HAVE GOOD PLAYERS is a subordinate clause. ALTHOUGH is a conjunction.

5. WHY DON'T YOU KNOW TO DO, SHANKAR..? is the main clause.
WHILE RAGU KNOWS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION is a subordinate clause. WHILE is a conjunction.

6. KUMANAN FAILED TO GOAL THE BALL is the main clause. BECAUSE THE KEEPER OF THE OPPONENT WAS SO STRONG is a subordinate clause.
THOUGH THE PLAYERS WERE WEAK is a subordinate clause. BECAUSE and THOUGH are conjunctions.

7. HE COULDN'T EVEN BASK A BALL IN THE SERIES is the main clause.
THOUGH SANJAY WAS SO TALL is a subordinate clause. THOUGH is a conjunction.

8. THE MATERIALS GOT MOISTURED is the main clause.
SINCE IT RAINED HEAVILY YESTERDAY is a subordinate clause. SINCE is a conjunction.

9. I WOULD DENY TO JOIN IN THAT TEAM is the main clause.
IF I WERE YOU is a subordinate clause. IF is a conjunction.

10. I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING is the main clause.
AS I WAS COMMITTED AT WORK is a subordinate clause. AS is a conjunction in this sentence.
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Here is a big matter that to be told. There are two types of subordinate clauses. They are, Adverbial subordinate and Adjectival subordinate.
The subordinate clauses constructed in the above sentences are Adverbial, because those describe the quality of the actions of the verbs used in those sentences.

How will the another one subordinate clause be and what is that?
See here some examples.
1. The man who is in blue shirt is our company's staff.
2. The person about whom you are talking is my student.
3. Mobile phones whichever we use nowadays are functioning well, aren't they?
4. Is the company where you are working a multinational one?
5. The man who plays guitar on the stage has bought a car that has recently been introduced by Honda company.

In the sentences seen above, which is main and which is subordinate clause?
1.  THE MAN IS OUR COMPANY'S STAFF is the main clause.
WHO IS IN BLUE SHIRT is a subordinate clause. This is called also as a relative clause. Here WHO is a relative pronoun.

2. THE PERSON IS MY STUDENT is the main clause.
ABOUT WHOM YOU ARE TALKING is a subordinate clause. ABOUT WHOM is a relative pronoun.

3. MOBILE PHONES ARE FUNCTIONING WELL, AREN'T THEY? is the main clause.
WHICHEVER WE USE NOWADAYS is a subordinate. WHICHEVER is a relative pronoun.

4. IS THE COMPANY MULTINATIONAL ONE? is the main clause.
WHERE YOU ARE WORKING is a subordinate clause. WHERE is a relative pronoun.

5. THE MAN HAS BOUGHT A CAR is the main clause.
WHO PLAYS GUITAR ON THE STAGE and THAT HAS RECENTLY BEEN INTRODUCED BY HONDA COMPANY are subordinate clauses. There are two subordinate clauses in this sentence. WHO and THAT are relative pronouns in this sentence.

Why are these subordinates called as Adjectival ones?
Because those are doing adjective roles here. What is the role of an adjective? It's role is just describing the quality of a noun. For example in the first one, THE MAN is a noun. Such noun is described by a clause WHO IS IN BLUE SHIRT. So that it is known as an Adjectival subordinate clause.

Written by
Mahendiran V
Author and director
MAHENDIRAN GLOBAL ENGLISH
Nagapattinam, Tamilnadu, India
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