Main and Subordinate Clauses in English
A clause includes a subject and a verb.
There are 2 distinct clauses in English – main and subordinate.
In this lesson, you’ll learn these clauses and practise using them.
What are the 2 clauses?
Main Clause
- Includes a subject and verb
- The sentence makes sense on its own
Subordinate Clause
- Includes a conjunction to add more information
- The sentence doesn’t make sense on its own
Examples
The dog barked.
I was asleep when the phone rang.
We didn't go outside because it was raining.
Subordinate conjunctions are used with subordinate clauses
Practise
Complete these sentences using the groups of words.
Common mistakes learners make
- Treating the subordinate clause as a complete sentence
- Using the wrong subordinate conjunction
- Overloading sentences with too many clauses
Common mistakes learners make
- Treating the subordinate clause as a complete sentence
- Using the wrong subordinate conjunction
- Overloading sentences with too many clauses
Watch: Clauses explained by a British tutor
In this video, Claire explains the different clauses with more examples.
