Understanding Clauses: Main, Subordinate and Relative Clauses.
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Clauses can work independently or depend on another part of a sentence to make complete sense.
In this article, we will focus on three important types of clauses:
I. Main clauses
II. Subordinate clauses
III. Relative clauses
Let’s look at each one in turn.
1. Main Clauses
A main clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb that makes complete sense on its own.
Because it can stand alone as a complete sentence, it is sometimes called an independent clause.
Examples of Main Clauses
1. The children played outside.
The clause makes complete sense on its own.
2. Sarah finished her homework.
This is a complete thought with a subject and a verb.
3. The dog barked loudly.
The sentence can stand alone.
4. We visited the museum.
It contains a subject (we) and a verb (visited) and expresses a complete idea.
5. James won the competition.
This is also a complete thought.
A sentence can contain more than one main clause. For example:
James finished his homework, and Sarah read a book.
Here, James finished his homework and Sarah read a book are both main clauses.
2. Subordinate Clauses
A subordinate clause also contains a subject and a verb, but unlike a main clause, it does not make complete sense on its own.
It needs to be connected to a main clause to form a complete sentence.
Subordinate clauses are often introduced by words such as because, although, when, if, while, since, and unless.
Examples of Subordinate Clauses
1. Because it was raining
This does not give us a complete thought. We expect to know what happened because it was raining.
We stayed indoors because it was raining.
2. Although she was tired
This needs a main clause to complete the idea
Although she was tired, she finished her homework.
3. When the bell rang
We need more information about what happened when the bell rang
When the bell rang, the students left the classroom.
4. If you study carefully
This leaves us waiting for the result or consequence.
If you study carefully, you will understand the topic.
An easy way to remember
Think of a subordinate clause as a clause that depends on something else.
For example:
Because I was hungry...
You might immediately ask, What happened because you were hungry?
Add a main clause:
Because I was hungry, I made a sandwich.
Now the sentence is complete.
3. Relative Clauses
A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that gives us more information about a noun or pronoun.
Relative clauses are commonly introduced by relative pronouns such as:
who, whom, whose, which, and that.
They can help us identify or describe a person, animal, place, object, or thing.
Examples of Relative Clauses
1. The girl who won the race is my sister.
The relative clause is who won the race. It gives us more information about the girl.
2. I found the book that you were looking for.
The relative clause is that you were looking for. It tells us more about the book.
3. The teacher who taught us English was very helpful.
The relative clause is who taught us English. It gives more information about the teacher.
4. We visited a museum which contained many ancient artefacts.
The relative clause is which contained many ancient artefacts. It gives us more information about the museum.
5. The boy whose bicycle was stolen reported it to the teacher.
The relative clause is whose bicycle was stolen. It tells us more about the boy.
Common Relative Words
Why Are Clauses Important?
Understanding clauses helps students move beyond simple sentences and create more interesting and detailed writing.
Compare:
The girl ran home.
with:
The girl who had missed the bus ran home because it was getting dark.
The second sentence provides much more information because it uses different types of clauses.
Get free worksheet on introduction to clauses at: https://www.myedupady.com/worksheets
Learning to recognise main, subordinate, and relative clauses can therefore help students with:
- Sentence construction
- Punctuation
- Grammar questions
- Reading comprehension
- Creative writing
- Essay writing
- 11+ and GCSE English exams
Final Tip
When identifying a clause, look for the subject and the verb first. Then ask:
Does it make complete sense on its own?
- If yes, it is likely a main clause.
- If no, it is likely a subordinate clause.
- If it gives extra information about a noun or pronoun, it is a relative clause.
Once students learn to spot these patterns, clauses become much easier to understand and use confidently in their writing.
