Subordinate Clause

Subordinate Clauses in English Grammar: Understanding Complex Sentence Structures

Welcome to our Subordinate Clauses English Grammar webpage, where we delve into the fascinating world of complex sentence structures. Subordinate clauses are essential components of English grammar that enrich your writing and communication skills by adding depth and complexity to your sentences.

On this comprehensive page, you'll embark on a journey through the intricacies of subordinate clauses, also known as dependent clauses. From understanding their role in sentence formation to mastering their various types, we've got you covered.

Key Features:

What are Subordinate Clauses? Begin your exploration by grasping the concept of subordinate clauses – clauses that rely on main clauses for meaning and cannot stand alone as complete sentences.

Types of Subordinate Clauses: Unravel the different types of subordinate clauses, such as adverbial, adjectival, and nominal clauses, each playing a unique role in sentence structure.

Adverbial Clauses: Delve into adverbial clauses and learn how they modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, providing additional information about time, place, reason, condition, and more.

Adjectival Clauses: Discover how adjectival clauses function as adjectives, describing or providing more information about nouns in a sentence.

Nominal Clauses: Explore the significance of nominal clauses, acting as nouns in a sentence, serving various purposes like subjects, objects, or complements.

Subordinate Clause Markers: Identify common words and phrases that introduce subordinate clauses, enabling you to spot them easily in sentences.

Sentence Combining: Learn the art of combining independent and subordinate clauses to construct more sophisticated and compelling sentences.

Punctuation and Subordinate Clauses: Grasp the punctuation rules that apply when dealing with subordinate clauses, ensuring clear and coherent writing.

Complex Sentence Examples: Delight in a treasure trove of examples illustrating the use of subordinate clauses in crafting complex sentences.

Exercises and Quizzes: Test your knowledge with interactive exercises and quizzes designed to reinforce your understanding of subordinate clauses.

Writing Tips: Embrace practical writing tips to seamlessly integrate subordinate clauses into your essays, reports, and creative pieces.

Whether you're a student aiming to enhance academic writing, a professional seeking to elevate your communication skills, or an avid language enthusiast, our Subordinate Clauses English Grammar page offers valuable insights and resources. Empower yourself with the art of constructing eloquent and sophisticated sentences. Start your learning journey now!

A. Underline the adverb clause in each sentence:

Remember to underline the entire adverb clause in each sentence. Adverb clauses are dependent clauses that function as adverbs in the sentence, providing additional information about the main clause.

1.    After the rain stopped, we went for a walk in the park.

2.    Although she was tired, she managed to finish her assignment.

3.    Whenever the phone rings, he rushes to answer it.

4.    While studying for the exam, he realized he needed more time to prepare.

5.    Because the movie was sold out, we decided to watch another one.

6.    As the sun set, the temperature dropped significantly.

7.    Since he left early, he arrived at the party on time.

8.    Unless you finish your chores, you can't go out with your friends.

9.    Wherever she travels, she always carries a camera with her.

10. As long as the weather is good, we'll have a picnic on the weekend.

11. Before he left for the trip, he checked his passport and tickets.

12. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask your teacher for assistance.

13. As soon as the bell rang, the students hurriedly left the classroom.

14. While waiting for the bus, she decided to read a book.

15. Provided that you follow the instructions, you will succeed in this task.

B. Underline the noun clause in each sentence:

Remember to underline the entire noun clause in each sentence. Noun clauses are dependent clauses that function as nouns in the sentence, typically acting as subjects, objects, or complements.

1.    Whoever wins the race will receive a trophy.

2.    I don't know what she wants for her birthday.

3.    The teacher asked where we had gone during the school break.

4.    He wonders if they will be able to complete the project on time.

5.    Please tell me who took my pen from the desk.

6.    The team captain is uncertain whether the game will be rescheduled.

7.    I heard that they are planning a surprise party for him.

8.    Can you find out how much the concert tickets cost?

9.    She doesn't understand why he behaves that way.

10. They are curious about where you found that rare book.

11. The detective is investigating what happened on the night of the incident.

12. We are eager to learn which candidate will be chosen for the position.

13. The child asked where his missing toy had gone.

14. The committee will discuss whether the event should be postponed.

15. The news reporter asked what the government's response would be to the crisis.

C. Underline the adjective clause in each sentence:

Remember to underline the entire adjective clause in each sentence. Adjective clauses, also known as relative clauses, provide additional information about the nouns they modify. They typically begin with relative pronouns like "who," "which," "whose," "whom," or "that."

1.    The book, which I borrowed from the library, is very informative.

2.    The girl who won the art competition received a scholarship.

3.    The house, whose roof was damaged in the storm, will undergo repairs.

4.    I visited the city where I spent my childhood during the summer.

5.    The car that crashed into the tree was severely damaged.

6.    The professor, who is known for his expertise in physics, gave an enlightening lecture.

7.    The movie, which was released last week, has received positive reviews.

8.    She saw a bird whose colorful feathers caught her attention.

9.    The restaurant, where we had dinner last night, had excellent service.

10. The old mansion that stands at the top of the hill is rumoured to be haunted.

11. He showed us the painting, which was created by a famous artist.

12. The baby, who was crying loudly, finally fell asleep in her mother's arms.

13. I met a woman whose grandfather fought in World War II.

14. The athlete, who broke the world record, celebrated her victory with joy.

15. The cake that my sister baked for my birthday was absolutely delicious.

D. Sentences have been joined into complex sentences using noun clauses:

In these complex sentences, the noun clauses (subordinate clauses acting as nouns) are used to combine the two simple sentences into more detailed and meaningful statements.

Sentence 1: Tom is curious about the mystery.

Sentence 2: He wants to solve it.

Complex Sentence: Tom is curious about the mystery that he wants to solve.

Sentence 1: The students couldn't understand the question.

Sentence 2: The teacher asked it.

Complex Sentence: The students couldn't understand the question that the teacher asked.

Sentence 1: Mary knows the person.

Sentence 2: He won the competition.

Complex Sentence: Mary knows the person who won the competition.

Sentence 1: John heard the news.

Sentence 2: It shocked him.

Complex Sentence: John heard the news that shocked him.

Sentence 1: The dog barked loudly.

Sentence 2: It scared the cat.

Complex Sentence: The dog barked loudly, which scared the cat.

Sentence 1: The team won the championship.

Sentence 2: It was unexpected.

Complex Sentence: The team won the championship, which was unexpected.

Sentence 1: She loves the book.

Sentence 2: It was recommended by her friend.

Complex Sentence: She loves the book that was recommended by her friend.

Sentence 1: The company hired a new manager.

Sentence 2: His qualifications were impressive.

Complex Sentence: The company hired a new manager whose qualifications were impressive.

Sentence 1: They saw a man.

Sentence 2: He was running away from the scene.

Complex Sentence: They saw a man who was running away from the scene.

Sentence 1: Susan enjoys the paintings.

Sentence 2: They were created by a famous artist.

Complex Sentence: Susan enjoys the paintings that were created by a famous artist.

Sentence 1: The police arrested a suspect.

Sentence 2: He was involved in the robbery.

Complex Sentence: The police arrested a suspect who was involved in the robbery.

Sentence 1: We visited a city.

Sentence 2: It is known for its historical landmarks.

Complex Sentence: We visited a city that is known for its historical landmarks.

Sentence 1: My brother received an invitation.

Sentence 2: It surprised him.

Complex Sentence: My brother received an invitation that surprised him.

Sentence 1: The scientist conducted an experiment.

Sentence 2: Its results were groundbreaking.

Complex Sentence: The scientist conducted an experiment whose results were groundbreaking.

Sentence 1: The children heard a story.

Sentence 2: It fascinated them.

Complex Sentence: The children heard a story that fascinated them.

Sentence 1: John likes to read books.

Sentence 2: It makes him happy.

Complex Sentence: John likes to read books, which makes him happy.

Sentence 1: She doesn't know the answer.

Sentence 2: It worries her.

Complex Sentence: She doesn't know the answer, which worries her.

Sentence 1: They discovered the treasure.

Sentence 2: It was buried underground.

Complex Sentence: They discovered the treasure that was buried underground.

Sentence 1: The teacher explained the lesson.

Sentence 2: It was difficult to understand.

Complex Sentence: The teacher explained the lesson that was difficult to understand.

Sentence 1: He believes in aliens.

Sentence 2: It surprises everyone.

Complex Sentence: He believes in aliens, which surprises everyone.

Sentence 1: We saw a shooting star.

Sentence 2: It was a rare sight.

Complex Sentence: We saw a shooting star, which was a rare sight.

Sentence 1: She couldn't find her keys.

Sentence 2: It caused her to be late.

Complex Sentence: She couldn't find her keys, which caused her to be late.

Sentence 1: The chef prepared a special dish.

Sentence 2: It impressed the guests.

Complex Sentence: The chef prepared a special dish that impressed the guests.

Sentence 1: They announced the winner.

Sentence 2: It brought tears to her eyes.

Complex Sentence: They announced the winner, which brought tears to her eyes.

Sentence 1: He heard a strange noise.

Sentence 2: It frightened him.

Complex Sentence: He heard a strange noise that frightened him.

Sentence 1: The doctor prescribed a new medicine.

Sentence 2: It should help with the pain.

Complex Sentence: The doctor prescribed a new medicine that should help with the pain.

Sentence 1: She found a lost puppy.

Sentence 2: It appeared hungry and scared.

Complex Sentence: She found a lost puppy that appeared hungry and scared.

Sentence 1: They built a new playground.

Sentence 2: It will benefit the community.

Complex Sentence: They built a new playground that will benefit the community.

Sentence 1: He received an invitation.

Sentence 2: It made him feel special.

Complex Sentence: He received an invitation that made him feel special.

Sentence 1: The scientist conducted an experiment.

Sentence 2: It yielded promising results.

Complex Sentence: The scientist conducted an experiment that yielded promising results.

In these complex sentences, the noun clauses (subordinate clauses acting as nouns) are used to combine the two simple sentences into more detailed and meaningful statements.

E. Here's an exercise of fifteen sentences where you need to join two sentences into one complex sentence using noun clauses:

1.   Sentence 1: Tom doesn't know the answer.

       Sentence 2: This question is challenging.

2.   Sentence 1: She met a person.

       Sentence 2: This person is very famous.

3.   Sentence 1: They found a place.

       Sentence 2: This place is peaceful.

4.   Sentence 1: The company developed a product.

       Sentence 2: This product will revolutionize the industry.

5.   Sentence 1: He heard a rumour.

       Sentence 2: This rumour is about a new movie.

6.   Sentence 1: We attended a seminar.

       Sentence 2: This seminar provided valuable insights.

7.   Sentence 1: The children watched a movie.

       Sentence 2: This movie was animated.

8.   Sentence 1: She received a letter.

       Sentence 2: This letter came from her pen pal.

9.   Sentence 1: They bought a house.

       Sentence 2: This house has a beautiful garden.

10. Sentence 1: The team faced a challenge.

       Sentence 2: This challenge seemed impossible to overcome.

11. Sentence 1: He attended a conference.

       Sentence 2: This conference discussed climate change.

12. Sentence 1: We visited a country.

       Sentence 2: This country is known for its rich history.

13. Sentence 1: The chef prepared a dish.

       Sentence 2: This dish won an award.

14. Sentence 1: She read a book.

       Sentence 2: This book is a bestseller.

15. Sentence 1: They found a solution.

       Sentence 2: This solution solved the problem.