Subordinate Clauses:
Subordinate
Clauses are the type of clauses that can neither make sense on their own nor
can function as a sentence. These clauses cannot stand on their own and need
the main clause to complete their meaning.
Examples:
1.
When Ali
returned.
2.
Because she
loved her mother.
3.
Although she
hated her friend.
Complex
Sentence:
When
the main clause is joined with one or more than one subordinate clause a
complex sentence is formed.
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Types
of Subordinate Clauses:
There
are three types of subordinate clauses i.e. complement clause, relative clause,
and adverbial clause.
1. Complement
Clause: A complement
clause is a clause that is introduced by a complementizer and completes the
meaning of a verb in a sentence. It is also known as a noun clause because it
can easily be replaced by a noun or noun phrase.
Examples:
- She
regretted that she had met Ahmed.
- She
feared that her mother would die.
In the above examples “that she had met Ahmed” and “that her mother would die” are complement clauses as they complete the meaning of the verbs regretted and feared respectively. These clauses are usually introduced by complementizers. Complementizers are worlds that are used to introduce different clauses and are usually, subordinate conjunctions, relative pronouns, and relative adverbs such as that, if, etc.
2. Relative Clause:
A
relative clause is a clause that is used to complete the meaning of a noun.
They are also called adjective clauses as they modify the noun and serve the
purpose of an adjective.
Examples:
- The
house which they bought a year ago was
abolished.
- The
vase that Amna had bought from Murree got
broken.
In above examples “which they bought a year ago” and “that Amna had bought from Murree” are relative clauses as they modify the nouns “house” and “vase” respectively. The difference between an adjective and a relative clause is that the adjective precedes the noun it is modifying whereas the relative clause comes after the noun it is modifying.
3. Adverbial Clause:
An
adverbial clause is a clause that modifies the whole phrase. It modifies the
idea presented in the other phrase. There are five types of adverbial
clauses.
- Adverbial
clause of reason:
The
adverbial clause of reason modifies the reason behind a certain action. For
instance,
- Because she
loved her mother, she
refused to believe that her mother was dead.
“Because
she loved her mother” is modifying the reason behind her refusal to believe
that her mother was dead.
- Adverbial
clause of time:
The
adverbial clause of time modifies the time when a certain action took place.
For instance,
- When Fatima
returned, she found
her sister very ill.
“When
Fatima returned” is highlighting or modifying the time of an action.
- Adverbial
clause of manner:
The
adverbial clause of manner modifies how a certain action takes place. For
instance,
- Asmat
refused to go to the party, as the mood took him.
“As
the mood took him” is highlighting how he negated the action of going to a
party.
- Adverbial
clause of concession:
The
adverbial clause of concession modifies the concession presented in performing
a certain action. For instance,
- Although
she loved her parents,
she left her home.
“Although
she loved her parents” is highlighting the concession in the process of her
leaving her home.
- Adverbial
clause of condition:
The
adverbial clause of condition highlights the presence of a certain condition in
the sentence.
- If she had
worked hard, she would have got good grades.
“If
she had worked hard” is highlighting the condition under which she would have
got good grades.
In
short, a subordinate clause is a type of clause that cannot stand on its own
and cannot give a complete meaning. There are three basic types of subordinate
clauses which are joined to the main clause using subordinate conjunctions.
