subordinate clause
1
4.2
- noun
- /səˈbɔːrdɪnət klɔːz/
- Specialized
:
cláusula subordinada
- A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and often begins with words like 'because' or 'although.'
- subordinate clauses following verbs
- use of subordinate clauses
- number of subordinate clauses
V word order is most common in subordinate clauses.
- V word order is most common in subordinate clauses.
- This is commonly found in subordinate clauses and clauses introduced by and and or OC.
Examples
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Then follows a string of modifiers built on the word 'listening' that includes four subordinate clauses (beginning with, since, in which, and where).
Academic text (2005) -
Thus, the pronouns are the subject of a subordinate clause and must be in the nominative case.
Blog text (27) -
A C-unit is defined as an independent clause plus all associated subordinate clauses.
Academic text (2014) -
The language samples were segmented in T-units, which are main clauses with their subordinate clauses (Hunt, 1965).
Academic text (2012) -
A T-unit consists of a main clause (MC) and any subordinate clauses (SCs) that are attached to it (Hunt, 1970).
Academic text (2012) -
Scott (1988) described how school-age children's utterances lengthened and became increasingly complex by using a greater number of subordinate clauses.
Academic text (2014) -
Despite Hemingway's shorter sentences and clauses, he uses subordinate clauses more often than Chandler and is willing, now and then, to have long segments of sentence modifiers preceding his verbs.
Academic text (2005) -
In the sentence 'She smiled when he arrived,' the phrase 'when he arrived' is a subordinate clause that adds detail.
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To form a complex sentence, you need a main clause and at least one subordinate clause that provides additional information.
Synonyms
A group of words that cannot stand alone and acts like a noun, adjective, or adverb
A part of a sentence that needs the main part to make sense
Antonyms
- Specialized
1
4.0
A part of a sentence that can stand alone and give a complete idea
How Nested
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a clause that depends on a main clause and cannot stand alone' is directly derivable from combining 'subordinate' (dependent/lower-ranking) with 'clause' (a unit with subject and predicate). This adjective+noun composition is a standard, cross-linguistic grammatical label and follows ordinary English composition patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand it.
Etymology
The phrase subordinate clause gives a simple picture: a small sentence piece sits 'under' a larger sentence part, because subordinate means smaller or below and clause means a short sentence. So a subordinate clause 'cannot stand alone' and must join a 'main clause' to make a full sentence.