What are subordinate clauses in English. Subordinate clauses in English. Subject clauses

1. Subject clauses(Subject Clauses) - answer the question who? - Who? what? - What? and are joined to the main sentence using the conjunctions that, whether, if or the allied words who, whose, what, which, when, where, how, why.

What he said at the sitting of the Court is very important.
What he said at the trial is very important.

How he made a mistake is not clear to us.
How he made a mistake is not clear to us.

Subject clauses often come after the predicate. In these cases, the main clause begins with the pronoun it and comes before the subordinate clause.

It is strange that he made a mistake.
It's strange that he made a mistake.

2. Predicate clauses(Predicative Clauses) - are introduced by the same conjunctions and allied words as subject subordinate clauses.

This is what has he done by 6 o'clock.
This is what he did by 6 o'clock.

3. Subordinate clauses(Object Clauses) - answer the question what? - What?, whom? - whom?, for what? - for what? and join the main sentence with the same unions and allied words, but the addition can also be non-union.

She said that she had caught a cold.
She said she had a cold.

He began to read but soon could see (that) she was not following, so he stopped.
He started reading, but soon saw that she was not listening, so he stopped (stopped reading).

She smiled at what I said.
She smiled at what I said.

4. Subordinate clauses(Attributive Clauses) - answer the question what? - Which?, which? - Which?, which? and are introduced into a complex sentence by pronouns and allied words who, whose, which, that - which, whom - whom or adverbs when - When, where - Where,how- How,why- Why.

I know the girl who has won the first prize.
I know a girl who won first prize.

Lomonosov was one of those rare minds whose scientific ideas were scores of years ahead of their time.
Lomonosov was one of those rare minds whose scientific ideas were far ahead of his time.

The room has a window which faces the sea.
The room has a window that faces the sea.

Do you know why he was late?
Do you know why he was late?

5. Subordinate adverbial clauses(Adverbial Clauses) - are divided into adverbial clauses of place, time, manner of action, cause, purpose, effect, conditions, comparisons and adverbial concessional clauses.

1 Subordinate adverbial clauses places(Adverbial Clauses of Place) answer the questions: where? - Where? Where?, from where? - where and are joined to the main clause using the conjunctive words where - where, where or wherever - wherever, wherever.

They came up to the place where the famous Russian poet Lermontov was killed.
They approached the place where the famous Russian poet Lermontov was killed.

2. Subordinate adverbial clauses time(Adverbial Clauses of Time) answer the questions when? - When? how long? - how long? since when? - since when? till what time? till when? - to what nop? and are introduced by conjunctions and allied words when - When,after- after,before- before, while - while, till, until - bye, until, as soon as - as soon as,since- since, by the time - by the time, whenever - whenever.

I haven't seen her since she left school.
I haven't seen her since she left school.

After the pupils had gone the girls on duty began to clean the class-room.
After the students left, the girls on duty began to clean the classroom.

He stayed there till (until) she got back.
He stood there until she returned.

As soon as the guys lit the cigarettes clouds of smoke filled the room.
As soon as the guys lit their cigarettes, clouds of smoke filled the room.

NOTE:

Verbs in subordinate clauses cannot be used in the future tense, therefore:

a) in the subordinate clause, the future tense Simple Future/ Future Indefinite changes to the present Simple Present/Present Indefinite.

When he takes this book he will give it to me.
When he takes this book, he will give it to me.

As soon as they have finished we can use the court.
As soon as they finish (playing), we can take the court (sports ground).

BUT: The future tense can be used after when, if when introduces not an adverbial tense, but an addition.

Not asked when the train would get in.
He asked when the train would arrive.

(The clause when the train would get in is not an adverbial clause, but an additional clause - it answers the question What?)

3. Circumstantial sentences course of action(Clauses of Manner) answer the question how? - how, in what way? and are introduced by conjunctions as - How, as if, as though - as if, as if.

Didn't look at me as if he saw me for the first time.
He looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time.

4. Subordinate adverbial clauses causes(Clauses of Reason) answer the question why? - Why? and are introduced by conjunctions: because - because,since- because the,as- because and, less commonly, if - If.

We camped at noon because we were too tired.
We stopped at noon because we were very tired.

As we hadn’t any food we couldn’t continue our trip.
Since we had no more provisions, we could not continue our journey.

5. Subordinate adverbial clauses goals(Clauses of Purpose) answer the questions what for? - Why? What for? for what purpose? - for what purpose? and are introduced by conjunctions that, in order that, so that - so that, in order to, lest - so as not to.

The circumstances of the goal are usually expressed:

She went to England to learn English.
She went to England to study English.

(The infinitive to learn refers to the subject, i.e.: she went herself to learn English herself.)

If after the main predicate verb there is an object, then the infinitive will not refer to the subject, as in the example given, but to the object.

She sent her daughter to Britain to learn English.
She sent her daughter to Britain to study English.

(After the verb sent there is the object her daughter, so the infinitive to learn refers to the object daughter, i.e.: she sent her daughter to Britain with the goal that the daughter, and not herself, would learn English.)

2. Combination of conjunctions with the infinitive:

so as + infinitive
in order + infinitive

This construction can be used in subordinate adverbial clauses of the goal:

a) if the infinitive expressing the goal is in the negative form.

Don't left the room quietly so as (in order) not to wake up his wife.
He left the room quietly so as not to wake his wife.

He didn't say about the accident so as not to worry his parents.
He did not talk about the accident so as not to upset his parents.

b) if after the main verb there is an object, but the infinitive expressing the goal refers not to the object, but to the subject.

She sent her children into the garden in order (so as) to work a little(at her report).
She sent the children to the garden to work a little (on her report). (Work a little yourself, in the absence of children.)

Compare this sentence with the same one, but without the conjunction in order or so as:

She sent her children into the garden to work a little.
She sent the children to the garden to do some work (so they could do some gardening).

Thus, the presence of a combination of conjunctions so as/in order + infinitive makes it possible to attribute the purpose of an action to the subject, and not to the complement.

If the subordinate clause of the goal is introduced by the conjunction lest - so as not to, then the predicate verb of this subordinate clause is in the affirmative form and is expressed by the combination should + infinitive without to.

She never went to the river in autumn lest she should catch a cold.
She never went to the river in the fall, so as not to catch a cold.

Write down his address in your notebook lest you should forget it.
Write down his address in your notebook so you don't forget it.

6. Subordinate adverbial clauses consequences(Adverbial Clauses of Result) are introduced by conjunctions (usually the combination) that - What,so- So, so that - So and express the consequence arising from the content of the main sentence. When using these conjunctions, tense agreement rules are used.

He spoke for such a long time that we began to think he would never stop.
He talked for so long that we began to think he would never finish.

The fog was so thick that they could hardly see anything at a distance of five meters.
The fog was so thick that they could hardly see anything at a distance of five meters.

It was a secret, so Mary could know nothing about it.
This was kept secret, so Mary might not know anything about it.

7. Adverbial clauses concessionary sentences (Adverbial Clauses of Concession) answer the question in spite of what? - no matter what? and are introduced by conjunctions and allied words though, although, as - Although, however - howsoever, whoever - whoever, whatever - whatever, whatever, even if - even.

Though there were many vacant places she couldn't get a job.
Although there were many vacancies, she could not get a job.

However rich people are they always want to make more money.
No matter how rich people are, they always want to have more money.

8. Circumstantial conditional sentences are introduced by conjunctions if - If, unless - if not, on condition (that) - provided that, in case (that) - in case, etc.

If he cleans his shoes it means he is having a date.
If he shines his shoes, it means he has a date.

In subordinate clauses of conditions, Past Tense is used.

We knew that till the inspector arrived nothing could be touched.
We knew that until the investigator arrived, we couldn’t touch anything.

Features of the use of cardinal and ordinal numbers when denoting numbering in English.

An English sentence can be compared with a Russian one in that their structure is partially similar, and we are not talking about sentence members, but about parts of one phrase. So, they are found in the language. The second ones, which will be discussed in this article, in turn, are complex, where all parts are equal and independent, and complex. A complex sentence is so called because one or more of its parts are subordinate to another, and these subordinate parts themselves can answer different questions and act as different components of a phrase. These features led to the emergence of such a concept as clauses, and determined the classification of types of clauses in accordance with their role in the sentence. This will be discussed in this article. We will look at what subordinate clauses are in English, what types of them are distinguished and how they differ from each other.

General information about subordinate parts

The translation of the word clause is “part”, and further we are talking about those parts of a complex sentence that can convey different meanings and answer different questions. In general, there are main / principal - main and subordinate clauses - subordinate clauses in English (parts). This division is very clearly visible in the subjunctive mood, because conditional sentences in English consist directly of the following components: the main sentence carries the main essence, and the subordinate part contains the condition.

It is worth noting that parts of a complex sentence can be connected either through conjunctions or other connecting words, or not have any connecting units. Example of a union connection:
She was sure that nobody would come to see her off“She was sure that no one would come to see her off.”

An example of a non-union connection:
I wish I had been there a few days before– It’s a pity that I wasn’t there a few days before.

It is also impossible not to note the fact that subordinate clauses do not have any specific place, i.e. they can either precede the main parts or come after them:

· It was hard to overcome the problem because the task was too difficult– It was difficult to overcome the problem because the task was too difficult

· When he phoned in the evening, I was watching my favorite TV program – When he called in the evening, I was watching my favorite program

The translation of clauses today can also be considered all subordinate clauses, including those that contain the main members of the sentence. This is perhaps due to the fact that the types of subordinate clauses are very numerous, and when talking about parts of a complex sentence, it is important to emphasize all fragments of the phrase without exception. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the types of clauses in more detail, give examples from different categories, and determine what questions each type answers.

Main types of subordinate parts

It is customary to distinguish the following types of subordinate clauses in English:

1. Subject clause

or, more simply put, a part that contains a subject. It shows the relationship of this clause to the predicate and can appear either at the beginning or at the end and be preceded by various conjunctions or connecting words (who, what, which, where, that, etc.):

What does he want to do is to go away right now – What he wants to do is leave right now

2. Predicative clause - subordinate predicates

They are in many ways reminiscent of the previously described subject clauses, since they also contain one of two main members. In addition, approximately the same conjunctions and connecting elements are also used before them - who, what, that, how, why, etc. The only difference is that those subordinate clauses in English that have a predicative usually appear in the second half:

The problem was how the boys could reach that place- The problem was how the boys could get to that place

3. Object clause - additional clauses

In fact, they serve as a full-fledged supplement. Additional subordinate clauses can be connected to the main part through a variety of conjunctions and connecting elements - that, is, what, who, whatever, whoever, etc. Such parts are also called explanatory and answer the questions of indirect cases: what? about whom? etc.:

He always does what his mother tells him to do– He always does what his mother tells him to do.

4. Attributive clauses

They act as definitions and are associated with either nouns or pronouns that appear in the main clause. Determinative clauses in English can be associated with main clauses through different elements: these can be relative pronouns (who, that, which, etc.), relative adverbs (when, where), and the method can also be non-union. Complex sentences with attributive clauses are quite popular due to the possibility of different ways of coordinating with the main part; Usually the attributive clause answers the question which? and may look like this:

He started in the hope that everyone would support him– He started in the hope that everyone would support him

5. Adverbial clauses

which constitute perhaps the largest subgroup. Complex sentences with adverbial clauses are very common, since they convey a lot of meaning and have several separate subtypes. It is logical to assume that SPPs with adverbial clauses have a part within them in the adverbial function, which can have different meanings and be used to display different situations. So, any table with these types will offer the following options:

a) Adverbial clause of time - subordinate time in English

Quite often, parts of time and conditions stand together, since both subordinate conditions and time are clearly reflected in the subjunctive mood, where they have special grammatical norms for the formation of time. Temporal clauses have conjunctions that precede them - as, as soon as, till, until, when, etc.:
As soon as I saw her, I called my friends to tell them this news – As soon as I saw her, I called my friends to tell them this news

b) Adverbial clauses of place

There is usually nothing complicated in them, and the words that precede them are somehow connected with the place - where, wherever:
I feel good where I live– I feel good where I live

c) Adverbial clauses of purpose

Their essence lies in the name itself: they convey the purpose for which the action is performed. They are preceded by such well-known structures as in order, so that, etc.:

I looked at him so that he could understand the seriousness of my intention– I looked at him so that he could understand the seriousness of my intentions

d) Of cause - reasons

This part is designed to show one reason or another in relation to the main part. May begin with conjunctions because, for, since, as, etc.:

I decided not to go there since I didn't know anyone at that party– I decided not to go there because I didn’t know anyone at that party.

e) Of condition – subordinate clauses of condition

They are quite familiar to those who remember Subjunctive Mood and conditionals. Conditional clauses usually begin with conjunctions such as if (whether), unless, in case, etc.:

In case she comes, nobody will meet her – If she comes, no one will meet her

f) Of comparison

Their essence is quite simple: their translation begins with the words “as if”, “as if”, which are usually expressed through identical conjunctions as if/as though or other structures: as – as, so – as, etc.:

He looked as if nothing could frighten him“He looked like nothing could scare him.”

g) Of result – result or, as they are also called, consequences

The translation of such constructions is “so much that...”, “such that...”. Such clauses are usually expressed through the so that structure, but this case of its use should not be confused with an adverbial clause of purpose, where the essence will be completely different. Here's what a corollary clause looks like:

We were deeply involved in working on the project, so that we didn’t hear he come– We were so involved in working on the project that we didn’t hear it arrive

h) Of manner - way of action

The conjunction as usually shows how an action is performed, that is, the way it is performed. For example:
He did everything as you ordered him- He did everything as you ordered him

i) Adverbial clause of concession - concessions

A typical translation with which such a part will begin is “although”, “despite”, etc. The following meanings are expressed through the conjunctions although, though, however, despite, etc.:

Though he was free, he refused to help us – Although he was free, he refused to help us

As can be seen from all of the above information, there are quite a few types of subordinate clauses of a sentence, but each of them has individual distinctive features in the form of conjunctions that introduce them, so studying this extensive topic usually does not cause major problems and difficulties.

Types of subordinate clauses in English

I. Subordinate clause - subject
that - what
if, whether
who - who
what - what, which
which - which
when - when
where - where
how - how
why - why

Whether we played there or not means nothing now. - Whether we played there or not, it doesn’t matter now.
That she understands his fault is clear. - It is clear that she understands her guilt.
What she told me yesterday proved to be correct. “What she told me yesterday turned out to be true.”
Who spoke at that meeting has escaped my memory. - I can’t remember who spoke at this meeting.
Which of the knives is good for our kitchen has to be decided yet. - Which knife is suitable for our kitchen will still be decided.
Where she is hiding now is not known. - Where she is hiding now is unknown.
When he arrives is not mentioned. - When he arrives is unknown.
Why they have chosen that way was known only to their guide. - Why they chose this path was known only to their guide.
How you have managed to do it is very strange. - It’s very strange how you managed to do this.

II. Subordinate clause - predicate (is the nominal part of the predicate) the same as for the subordinate subject

This is what I told you about. - What I told you about.
The question is whether the weather is sunny. - The question is whether the weather will be sunny.

III. Subordinate clause - addition
that—that
if, whether
what - what, which
who - who
which - which
where - where
how - how
why - why

Tom asked if he could take that book. - Tom asked if he could take this book.
We know that she is pretty. - We know that she is beautiful.
I don't know what Jimmy should do now. - I don't know what Jimmy should do now.
I wonder why penguins don’t fly. - I wonder why penguins don’t fly?
The secretary told us how we can arrange our offers. - The secretary told us how we can prepare our proposals.
…where to sleep. -...where to sleep.
… which bag to buy. - ... which bag to buy.

IV. Subordinate clause - attributive
who - which
whose - whose
which - which
that - which
where - where
why - why

The room has a stove which faces the door. - The room has a stove, which is located opposite the door.
It is the same person whom we saw last month. - This is the same man we saw a month ago.
Do you know the reason why Maria was late? - Do you know the reason why Maria was late?
The time when MaryI was young has long passed. - The time when Mary was young is long gone.
The castle where we once had dinner has disappeared. - The castle where we once had lunch has disappeared.

V. Circumstances of the place
where - where
wherever - wherever, wherever.

Put the vase where it belongs. - Put the vase in its place.
Wherever you go, you should be careful. - Wherever you go, you must be careful.

VI. Circumstances of the time
when - when
after - after that
before - before
till - until
while - while
since - since
as soon as - as soon as

After you go there, you can call on me. - When you go there, you can visit me.
When summer comes, we'll go to the country. - When summer comes, we will go to the village.
By the time Amy arrives, I’ll be ready. - By the time Amy arrives, I'll be ready.
Let me smoke a cigar before I go. - Let me smoke a cigar before I go.

VII. Circumstance of the reason
because - because
as - since
since - since

Tim can’t go to the concert because he is busy. - Tim can't go to the concert because he's busy.

VIII. Circumstance of the course of action
as - how
that - what
as if = as though - as if

She chews so loudly that everyone can hear her. - She chews so loudly that everyone can hear her.

IX. Circumstance of the goal
that - to
so that or in order to - in order to
lest - so as not to...

Eva had to talk louder, so that everyone could hear her. -Eve had to speak louder so that everyone could hear her.

X. Circumstances of the condition.
if - if
provided that = on condition that - provided that

If she is free today, he might be at the conference. - If she is free today, she should be at the conference.
I will read you an

The use of subordinate clauses in English has its own characteristics. Let's look at what subordinate clauses are and how to use them correctly with main clauses.

How to recognize a subordinate clause

A subordinate clause in English (clause), also called a dependent clause, begins with either a relative pronoun and contains . By itself, it does not form a complete statement, but only provides the reader with additional information.

List of subordinating conjunctions:

Take a look at these examples:

• After Bob came home from school

After is a subordinating conjunction; Bob - subject; came - predicate.

• Once John climbed the mountain

Once is a subordinating conjunction; John - subject; climbed - predicate.

• Until he watches his favorite film

Until - subordinating conjunction; he - subject; watches - predicate.

A subordinate clause in English cannot be independent, since it does not express a complete thought. It makes the reader think, “What’s next?” If a group of words begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, it must contain at least one . Otherwise it will be a gross grammatical error.

• After Bob came home from school (After Bob came from school) - What happened next? Did he start doing his homework or go play with his friends?
• Once John climbed the mountain - What then? Did he go down or set a flag?
• Until he watches his favorite film (Until he watches his favorite film) - Will he not go to bed? Or won't he get to work?

How to connect a subordinate clause with a main clause

If a subordinate clause in English comes before the main clause, you need to separate them with a comma: subordinate clause +, + main clause

• After Bob came home from school, he had dinner.
• Once John climbed the mountain, he put up the tent.

If , punctuation is usually not required: main clause + Ø + subordinate clause

• Bob did poorly on his math test Ø because he did not review the material.
• John went straight back to the camp Ø where his friends were waiting for him.
• He turned off the TV Ø once the film was over.

Punctuation of subordinate clauses

Pay attention to punctuation when a subordinate clause in English begins with .

Subordinate clauses can begin with a relative pronoun (then they are called relative clauses). When a clause begins with, for example, who, whose or which, there are some nuances in punctuation.

Sometimes a comma is needed, sometimes it is not, depending on whether the subordinate clause in English is individuating or descriptive.

When the information contained in a subordinate clause specifies a common noun, it is individuating and is not separated by a comma.

main clause + Ø + individualizing subordinate clause

• The old woman always left some milk for the cat Ø who lived near her house.

Cat is a common noun. What cat are we talking about? The subordinate clause explains this - who lived near her house. Thus, it is individuating and does not require a comma.

When a subordinate clause follows a specific noun in English, the punctuation changes. The information in the subordinate clause is no longer as important and it becomes descriptive. A descriptive sentence is separated by a comma.

main clause + , + descriptive relative clause

• The old woman always left some milk for her cat Missy, who lived in her house.

Missy is the name of a specific cat, and we immediately know who we are talking about. The information in this subordinate clause is not necessary to understand the meaning. In this case, it must be separated from the main sentence by a comma.

The subordinate clause can also be located inside the main clause. Again, the individuating sentence in this case does not require punctuation. If the sentence is descriptive, it must be separated by commas on both sides. Take a look at these examples:

• The woman Ø who gave us first aid Ø was a doctor from the local hospital.
• Mrs. Johnson, who gave us first aid, was a doctor from the local hospital.

Subordinating connection

Use a subordinating connection to combine two thoughts into one.

Writers often use subordinating relationships to combine two ideas into one sentence. Take a look at two simple sentences:

• Elizabeth gasped. A giant tree crashed onto the sidewalk in front of her.

Because they are interrelated, you can combine them into one to describe what is happening more expressively:

• Elizabeth gasped when giant tree crashed onto the sidewalk in front of her.

If two thoughts are unequal in importance, put the more significant one at the end so that the reader remembers it better. If you rewrite the example by swapping fragments, the emphasis will shift:

• When a giant tree crashed onto the sidewalk in front of her, Elizabeth gasped.

However, what is important to the reader is not Elizabeth's reaction, but the tree falling onto the sidewalk.

Knowing the rules for using subordinate clauses in English, you will be able to express your thoughts more competently and clearly. This, in turn, will allow you to significantly improve your level. If you still have questions about how to make one complex one out of two simple sentences, we will be happy to answer them in the comments!

Types of subordinate clauses in English

Since subordinate clauses in English explain the main thing, they act as various members of a sentence, hence their types and names. So, subordinate clauses are:

1. Subject clauses(the subject clause ), introduced by unions that (what), if / whether (whether), who (who), what (what), which (which), when (when), where (where), how (how), why (why).

Whether we met there or does not mean anything now. “Whether we met or not doesn’t matter now.”

What she told me yesterday turned out to be the truth. “What she told me yesterday turned out to be true.”

1. Predicate clauses(predicative – the predicative clause ), which uses the same conjunctions as the previous subordinate clause in English.

The question is whether he knows about her betrayal or not. - The question is whether he knows about her betrayal or not.

The problem was that he treated us as people unfamiliar. “The problem was that he treated us like strangers.”

1. Additional clauses(the object clause), which are attached to the main clause using conjunctions that, if/whether, what, who, which, where, how, why.

He told us that he had seen us buying a bouquet of flowers. – He said that he saw us buying a bouquet of flowers.

I don't understand what I must do now. – I don’t understand what I should do Now.

1. Subordinate clauses(the attributive clause ), and to work with them you will need such unions as who (which), whose (whose), which / that (which), where (where), why (why).

The house where we once lived has been burned. “The house we once lived in burned down.

The woman who helped us was a doctor from our local hospital. “The woman who helped us was a doctor from our local hospital.

1. Subordinate adverbial clauses(the adverbial clause ) which have their own classification.

First of all, thissubordinate clauses of place(the adverbial clause of place ), which, based on the name, require only conjunctions where (where, where) and wherever (wherever, wherever).

The dog sleeps wherever he wants. - The dog sleeps wherever he wants.

Do you know where he plays football? – Do you know where he plays football?

This is followed by subordinate clauses such asadverbial clauses of time(the adverbial clause of time ). We need conjunctions that define time parameters: when (when), after (after), before (before), till (until), while (while), since (since), as soon as (as soon as).

She was still crying when he entered the room. “She was still crying when he entered the room.

By the time you get married, I will have a family with three children. - By the time you get married, I will already have a family and three children.

Further additional adverbial reasons (the adverbial clause of reason) with conjunctions because (because), as / since (since).

I called you because I needed money. – I called you because I needed money.

He can't go to the party because he caught cold. He can't go to the party because he has a cold.

Then adverbial adverbial purposes (the adverbial clause of purpose). Introductory conjunctions are required here that (to), so that / in order that (in order to), lest (so as not to…).

She must speak louder so that everyone could hear her. - She should speak louder so that everyone can hear her.

He works hard in order that he can afford himself to buy a house of his dreams. – He works hard to afford to buy his dream house.

Next is another group -adverbial clauses, joined by unions if (if), provided that / in condition that (provided that).

If you find the book I asked, I will fulfill my promise. “If you find the book I asked for, I will fulfill my promise.”

I won't be free unless you tell me about this. “I won’t be free until you tell me so.”

There are also such subgroups of adverbial adverbs course of action ( the adverbial clause of manner), comparisons ( the adverbial clause of comparison) and concessions ( the adverbial clause of concession). The first and second subgroups of subordinate clauses in English need conjunctions as (how), as if / as though (ostensibly). But for the third one they are suitable though (though), no matter how (no matter what), no matter what (whatever it is, anyway).

She is looking at her mother as if she doesn’t recognize her. “She looks at her mother as if she doesn’t recognize her.

He reads as quickly as he can. – He reads as fast as he can.

No matter what he says, I do not believe him. “No matter what he says, I don’t believe him.”

Despite such a number of subordinate clauses, they are all understandable and not at all difficult. You just have to remember the conjunctions and features of each group of subordinate clauses.