Chapter 6
Subordinate Clauses
6.1 Identifying Subordinate Clauses
A main clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. It is called a simple sentence when the first word is capitalized and it ends with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.
A subordinate clause (or dependent clause) is a group of words with a subject and a verb that is introduced by a subordinator. It is not called a sentence because it makes an incomplete statement.
The following subordinate clauses are incomplete by themselves. They should not be followed by periods.
1. While the band took a break
2. Since you went away
They leave a question unanswered. You want to ask:
1. What happened while the band took a break?
2. What has happened since you went away?
They need another clause, the main clause, to answer these questions. You might complete the sentences as follows:
1. While the band took a break, I soaked my feet.
2. Since you went away, I found another job.
The difference between a main clause and a subordinate clause is often only the addition of one word at the beginning of the clause. If you add a subordinator to a main clause, you make a subordinate clause.
Example: He bought a van. (main clause)
when he bought a van (subordinate clause)
Subordinators (partial list)
Place: |
where, wherever |
Time: |
after, before, when, whenever, as, since, until, as soon as, while, as long as |
Cause or Purpose: |
so that, in order that, as, because, since, that, why |
Condition: |
if, unless, when, whether |
Contrast: |
although, even though, while |
as if, though, although |
|
Comparison: |
than |
Identification: |
that, who, what, whom, whose, which |
Some of these words function as subordinators in some sentences and as prepositions in other sentences.
The subordinator is followed by a subject and a verb.
The preposition is followed by a noun and its modifiers.
Notice that like is not a subordinator. Therefore, it is incorrect to say, “Like I said ...” The word like is only used as a preposition.
A sentence that has a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses is called a complex sentence.
Exercise 6.1
In the following complex sentences, underline the subordinate clause and put parentheses around the subordinator. Begin by circling the subjects and underlining the verbs.
1. The guests left after the party was over.
2. The animals performed their tricks although the audience did not applaud.
3. When the instructor passed back our papers, I was delighted.
4. Mr. Hashimoto has been wearing a cast because he broke his leg.
5. While we were riding our bicycles, someone stole our car.
Sentences with More than One Subordinate Clause
1. When the instructor passed back our papers, I discovered that my grade was an “A.”
In this sentence, there are two subordinate clauses. Put parentheses around the two subordinators. (You should have marked when and that.)
2. If you want to travel to Europe this summer, you must save all the money that you earned while you were working as a waitress.
In this sentence, there are three subordinate clauses. Put parentheses around the three subordinators. (You should have marked if, that, and while.)
Exercise 6.2
In the following complex sentences, underline the subordinate clauses and put parentheses around the subordinators. Begin by circling the subjects and underlining the verbs.
1. After dinner, while the guests sat around the table, many of them told interesting stories about their work as we all listened attentively.
2. Although she said that she loved him, he didn’t believe her because he knew that she went out with many other men.
3. As long as you haven’t eaten your lunch yet, you might as well wait until dinner time when we will have a big meal.
4. Before I knew what was happening, the red sports car passed my car as I drove up the hill.
5. The judge said that I should go to driving school so that I would learn about the dangers of drunk driving.
6.2 Using Subordinate Clauses
Subordination, the use of subordinate clauses, gives writers another option for adding ideas to their sentences and variety to their writing. In addition, the subordinator shows the precise relationship between the subordinate clause and the main clause of the sentence.
Example:
By using subordination in sentence 2, the writer makes the time and place of the theft exact and emphasizes one idea—the theft of the wallet. Combining these two main clauses into one complex sentence also improves the style.
Most subordinate clauses can be divided into two major groups: adverb clauses and adjective clauses. Some subordinate clauses are used as noun clauses: Mario knew that he had been careless with his money. The subordinate clause is the direct object of the verb “knew.”
Adverb Clauses
In adverb clauses, the most frequently used subordinators specify place, time, cause, condition, and contrast when indicating the relationship between main and subordinate clauses:
Place: |
where, wherever |
Time: |
after, before, when, whenever, as, since, until, as soon as, while, as long as |
Cause: |
because, since, as |
Condition: |
if, whether, unless, whatever, when |
Contrast: |
although, even though, while, whereas |
Adjective Clauses
The adjective clause is also called a relative clause because the subordinator “relates” the rest of the subordinate clause to a word or a word group in the main clause. The subordinate clause is an adjective modifying that part of the main clause by adding information about it.
Subordinators
The second sentence improves an awkward sentence by subordinating the first clause in sentence 1 to the second clause. The subordinate clause clarifies the situation by restricting the word people to those who helped Mario.
Exercise 6.3
Combine the following sentences into complex sentences.
A. Form a subordinate clause by placing the subordinator in parentheses in the position indicated by the caret (^).
B. Make any necessary changes in the punctuation and in the capitalization.
Example: ^ Ty Cobb, nicknamed “The Georgia Peach,” was one of the greatest of all baseball players. He was a bitter, angry man. (Use although.)
Although Ty Cobb, nicknamed “The Georgia Peach,” was one of the greatest of all baseball players, he was a bitter, angry man.
1. His lifetime batting record ^ was 4,191 hits in 24 seasons. It remained unbroken until the summer of 1985. (Use which, omit It.)
2. Cobb ^ was a multimillionaire. He gave financial help to young college students, endowed a hospital in his hometown, and gave anonymous aid to indigent ballplayers. (Use who, omit He.)
3. He remained a public idol to many. ^ Most of his fans were ignorant of his violent disposition. (Use since.)
4. Cobb welcomed a fight. ^ He was sick and old. (Use even when.)
5. Cobb threatened to use a loaded handgun. ^ He carried it with him. (Use that, omit it.)
We often combine ideas by coordinating them—that is, by linking them with the words and, but, or. Coordination works well when the parts are of equal importance, but when the ideas are not of equal importance, it’s better to subordinate one idea to another.
Using Subordination to Correct Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
Subordination gives you another way to correct comma splices and fused sentences by placing one idea in a subordinate clause and the other in a main clause.
Example: |
My brother joined the merchant marine, he was eighteen. (comma splice) |
Correction: |
My brother joined the merchant marine when he was eighteen. |
Exercise 6.4
Correct the following comma splices and fused sentences. Join the ideas in the main clauses into a complex sentence by changing one main clause to a subordinate clause. Use the subordinator in the parentheses. Punctuate the sentence correctly.
Example: |
(since) Ed joined the merchant marine he has been in many foreign ports. |
Correction: |
Since Ed joined the merchant marine, he has been in many foreign ports. |
1. (because) The coach was fired his team never won a game.
2. (when) The cat dug holes in my flower bed, I chased it away.
3. (although) They lost the first game they won the second one.
4. (while) We were riding our bicycles, someone stole our car.
5. (who, omit she) Toni is a full-time college student, she works thirty hours a week as a musician.
Punctuation
At the beginning of a sentence, use a comma after a subordinate clause.
Example: When Alex reached the parking lot, he couldn’t find his car.
Do not use a comma before a subordinate clause at the end of a sentence.
Example: Alex couldn’t find his car when he reached the parking lot.
Use commas to enclose clauses containing nonessential material. The information may add some details, but the reader could understand the main idea of the sentence if the clauses were left out.
Example: Stan, who arrived late, had to sit in the last row.
Omit the words enclosed by commas, and the sentence reads:
Stan had to sit in the last row.
The main idea of the sentence is unchanged.
Do not use commas to enclose clauses that are essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Example: The people who arrived early had the best seats.
If the subordinate clause is omitted, the main idea of the sentence is lost: The people had the best seats. The clause is needed to identify the people—those who arrived early.
Exercise 6.5
Insert commas where necessary. Some sentences do not need commas added.
1. Jeanine’s dog which is a poodle digs holes in the backyard.
2. The student who will be the first speaker at graduation was in my history class last semester.
3. The Queen Mary which was once an ocean-going luxury liner is docked in Long Beach.
4. Their new stereo which was more expensive than ours has excellent fidelity.
5. The traffic light that is on the corner of Fifth and Grand is not working this morning.
6.3 Sentence Fragments
A sentence fragment is a group of words that begins with a capital letter and ends with appropriate punctuation such as a period, but the group of words does not express a complete thought or contain a complete main clause.
Some professional writers use fragments in magazines and books. We hear sentence fragments used in conversation, as in the following example:
“Did you leave school early yesterday?”
“Yes, after my music class.”
Although the last bit of dialogue begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, it is not a complete sentence. It is a sentence fragment. When used in formal writing, fragments tend to confuse the reader.
Four Types of Sentence Fragments
It will be easier for you to correct fragments in your own writing if you learn to recognize four types of fragments.
Punctuating Subordinate Clauses as Sentences
Identifying the Error: When Jean came home.
This is the most common form of fragment. This subordinate clause is punctuated like a sentence.
Correcting the Error: When Jean came home, she turned on the stereo.
1. You can, of course, simply remove the subordinator, and you will have a complete sentence.
2. More than likely, however, the fragment will appear among the sentences of a paragraph you are writing. Therefore, you should connect the fragment to a sentence that is before or after the subordinate clause and change the punctuation.
(Error) We had just finished dinner. When Jean came home. (frag.)
(Correct) We had just finished dinner when Jean came home.
Note
When a subordinate clause is at the beginning of a sentence, place a comma after it.
Missing Subjects or Missing Verbs
Identifying the Error: 1. Swims for an hour in the pool.
2. A place to study with few interruptions.
1. Swims for an hour in the pool. Swims is a verb, but both nouns (hour and pool) are objects of the prepositions for and in. So this is a fragment because there is no subject.
2. A place to study with few interruptions. Place is a noun that could serve as a subject, and although study can be a verb, that is not the case here. In this word group, to study is a verbal. So, again, this is a fragment.
Correcting the Error:
Add a subject and/or a verb to each phrase to make a sentence.
Using Verbals Instead of Verbs or Participles without Auxiliaries
Identifying the Error: Riding our bicycles on the bike path.
In this case, the writer mistakes the verbal for a main verb and also leaves out the subject.
Correcting the Error:
1. Supply an auxiliary verb and, if necessary, a subject.
were riding our bicycles on the bike path.
2. Attach the fragment to the sentence preceding it or to the one following it.
3. Supply a verb and a completer. The verbal phrase riding our bicycles serves as the subject of the sentence.
on the bike path is good exercise.
Using Lists and Examples Hot Connected to a Subject and Verb
Identifying the Error: 1. The pattern, pinking shears, straight pins, and the material.
2. For example, my Psychology 1 final last semester.
A fragment is frequently a list or an example explaining some thought that the writer has just expressed. This kind of fragment often begins with one of the following words:
also |
first |
including |
especially |
for example |
such as |
except |
|
|
Correcting the Error:
Although you could turn the fragment into a sentence by supplying its own subject and verb (For example, my Psychology 1 final last semester was too long.), generally, you should connect the fragment to the sentence preceding it:
1. First, assemble the items you will need to cut out your skirt; the pattern, pinking shears, straight pins, and the material.
2. Some examinations are not fair, for example, my Psychology 1 final last semester.
Exercise 6.6
Change the fragments to a sentence in the spaces provided.
1. Michelle has completed almost all the courses required by her major. Except for English 1, Psychology 2, and History 17.
2. Shelby has big plans for the sweepstakes money if he wins it. For example, traveling to many foreign countries. Including several in Africa.
3. This fabric offers a number of advantages for traveling in the summer. Such as being washable, quick-drying, wrinkle-free, and lightweight.
4. She passed the time on jury duty by knitting. And by working crossword puzzles.
5. The instructor reviewed the material to be covered in the chapter test. Especially calling our attention to the last three pages.
Exercise 6.7
Mark F for fragment and S for sentence on the lines at the right.
1. The lifeguard talking to those children is Kim’s sister. |
____________ |
2. Handle that package with care. |
____________ |
3. The kit twisting and turning before falling to the ground. |
____________ |
4. Whenever he does the shopping. |
____________ |
5. And will come home Tuesday. |
____________ |
6. First by cutting down on unnecessary purchases. |
____________ |
7. Turning off the light, José climbed into bed. |
____________ |
8. The job that he wanted. |
____________ |
9. Wondering what she would do until payday. |
____________ |
10. Because I could not find a parking space. |