Clause types
• main
• subordinate
Main clauses
A main clause is complete on its own. It may be a complete sentence written with a capital letter and full stop (or ?!):
Alice saw a rabbit.
Anna is eating her favourite supper.
Finally, we arrived.
Simple sentences consist of just one main clause:
Hannah is eating her favourite supper.
Finally, we arrived.
Compound sentences consist of two or more main clauses – clauses of equal weight, joined together by and, or, but, or so. (This relationship is called co-ordination, and is explained in a separate unit.)
I’ve lost my school bag but the keys are here so I’m not locked out.
It’s late, so she’s not going.
I like reading and I love Hemingway.
Complex sentences contain one or more subordinate clauses.
Subordinate clauses
A subordinate clause is part of a larger clause.
He burns easily if he doesn’t use sun cream.
Where is the cup of tea that you promised to make?
Everything she buys is really expensive.
The class I taught last year all did quite well.
Because the subordinate clause is part of the larger clause, the remainder of this clause is not itself a complete clause; so in the first example above the main clause is the entire sentence, not He burns easily.
Using subordinate clauses allows writers to vary pace and rhythm and to indicate the relative importance of different ideas.
To learn more about subordinate clauses, click any of the following links:
• Subordination signals
• Finite and non-finite clauses
• Noun clauses
• Relative clauses
• Adverbial clauses
• Nested subordinate clauses
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