Year 5 English: Main and subordinate clauses
Part of the Year 5 English relative clauses and adverbials of time, place and cause chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Main and subordinate clauses
Key pattern
A main clause makes sense on its own: we ran to the beach.
A subordinate clause does not make sense on its own: when the sun came out.
A subordinate clause starts with a conjunction such as when, because or if, or with a relative pronoun such as who or which.
Key ideas
- A main clause can stand alone as a sentence.
- A subordinate clause depends on the main clause.
- Most subordinate clauses begin with a conjunction or a relative pronoun.
- A sentence can have more than one clause; check each one separately.
Method. Find the part that makes sense alone.
- Check each part. Although it was cold does not make sense alone.subordinate
- Find the main clause. Ali went swimming makes sense alone.main
- Write the answer. Ali went swimming
Check. Ali went swimming. ✓
Method. Look for the word that begins the second part.
- Find the second part. Because it was raining begins the second part.because
- Check the meaning. Because joins the reason to the main clause.because
- Write the answer. because
Check. Because. ✓
Method. Count the verbs and check each part.
- Find the verbs. The verbs are set and went.set, went
- Count the clauses. When the sun set is one clause; the birds went to sleep is another.2 clauses
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Two clauses. ✓
Exercise 4E Practice: main and subordinate clauses
Method. Find the part that can stand alone.
- Check the parts. We stayed inside makes sense alone.main
- Check the second part. Because it was raining does not make sense alone.subordinate
- Write the answer. We stayed inside
Check. We stayed inside. ✓
Method. Find the part that starts with a conjunction and does not stand alone.
- Find the conjunction. Until joins the second part.until
- Write the clause. Until the bus came is the subordinate clause.until the bus came
- Write the answer. until the bus came
Check. Until the bus came. ✓
Method. Check whether each part makes sense alone.
- Check the first part. The cat slept makes sense.main
- Check the second part. The dog ran makes sense.main
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Two main clauses. ✓
Method. Check whether the words make a complete idea.
- Read the words. Which we saw does not say what we saw.incomplete
- Decide. It is a relative clause, so it needs a main clause.No
- Write the answer. No
Check. No. ✓
Method. Count the verbs.
- Find the verbs. The verbs are stopped and walked.stopped, walked
- Count the clauses. After the rain stopped is one; we walked to the park is the other.2 clauses
- Write the answer. 2
Check. 2. ✓
Method. Find the part that starts with a conjunction.
- Find the conjunction. Although begins the first part.although
- Check the part. Although the sun was hot does not make sense alone.subordinate
- Write the answer. Although the sun was hot
Check. Although the sun was hot. ✓
Method. Find the relative pronoun.
- Find the pronoun. Who joins the clause to girl.who
- Write the clause. Who won the race is the relative clause.who won the race
- Write the answer. who won the race
Check. Who won the race. ✓
Method. Find the word that gives a condition.
- Find the conjunction. If begins the subordinate clause.if
- Check the main clause. I will call you makes sense alone.main
- Write the answer. if
Check. If. ✓
Method. Choose a conjunction of time.
- Choose the conjunction. When shows time.when
- Join the clauses. We went to the park when the sun was shining.We went to the park when the sun was shining.
- Write the answer. We went to the park when the sun was shining.
Check. We went to the park when the sun was shining. ✓
Method. Make the reason start with because.
- Write the main clause. The school hall was closed.The school hall was closed.
- Add the subordinate clause. Because the roof was being mended gives the reason.because the roof was being mended
- Write the answer. The school hall was closed because the roof was being mended.
Check. The sentence has two clauses. ✓
Method. Check whether the words make a complete idea.
- Check the words. Because it was late gives a reason but not a complete idea.reason only
- Name the clause type. It is a subordinate clause, so it needs a main clause.subordinate clause
- Write the answer. it is a subordinate clause and needs a main clause to make sense
Check. It needs a main clause. ✓