There are two (2) assignments on this worksheet, so look for the red-faced instructions about halfway through and at the end.

Subordinate Clauses

First, remember this important definition: A main clause is any BSP or any BSP + its bound modifiers.

Two other important definitions:

  • A clause, whether it is a main clause or some other kind of clause, contains a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb).
  • A phrase or cluster is a cluster of words that does NOT contain both a subject and a predicate.

FORMATION OF FREE MODIFIERS:

We will be studying the following structures: subordinate clauses, verb clusters, adjective clusters, noun clusters, absolutes, free relative clauses. These clauses and phrases are known as free modifiers because they are outside the BSP kernel clause; they are normally set off from the main clause with a comma.

Formation of Subordinate Clauses

To make a subordinate clause, add a clause subordinator to the beginning of any main clause; then supply a new main clause to support it.

Jim arrived early.
Since Jim arrived early,
Since Jim arrived early, he didn't have to wait.

Clause Subordinators: after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, once, since, though, unless, until, when

More Examples:

Constance sighed.
When Constance sighed,
When Constance sighed, the other people in the room turned to see who had done it.

The dog barked incessantly at night.
Because the dog barked incessantly at night,
Because the dog barked incessantly at night, the neighbors finally lodged a complaint with the town board.

First Assignment on this worksheet. On a separate piece of paper, write five sentences, each beginning with a subordinate clause and each containing a main clause. Put the subordinate class in the initial position of the sentence and use a comma to set it off from the main clause.

Detecting Subordinate Clauses

When you are analyzing the sentence structure of a passage, you can pay attention to the writer's use of subordinate clauses. To find them, look for one of the clause subordinators listed above. Then look at the words following the subordinator. If they would be a main clause by themselves, then you have found a subordinate clause. If they form only a phrase or if there is only a single word after the subordinator, then you do not have a subordinate clause: usually you are looking at a prepositional phrase.

Notice the paragraph just above this one. It contains the following subordinate clauses:

When you are analyzing the sentence structure of a passage,

If they would be a main clause by themselves,

If they form only a phrase

if there is only a single word after the subordinator,

Let's now mark that same paragraph to highlight the sentences which contain subordinate clauses and to emphasize the subordinate clauses themselves. In this example, I have italicized the sentences that have subordinate clauses, and I have boldfaced the subordinate clauses themselves.

When you are analyzing the sentence structure of a passage, you can pay attention to the writer's use of subordinate clauses. To find them, look for one of the clause subordinators listed above. Then look at the words following the subordinator. If they would be a main clause by themselves, then you have found a subordinate clause. If they form only a phrase or if there is only a single word after the subordinator, then you do not have a subordinate clause: usually you are looking at a prepositional phrase.

Second, and last, assignment on this worksheet. Using your print off of Amazon Stranger, which you worked with for assignment #2 for today, search both pages for subordinate clauses. Underline each subordinate clause you find with 2 lines, or use a different color highlighter to mark them. Label each subordinate clause with the abbreviation SC.