Introduction to Clauses

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Clauses are the fundamental building blocks of sentences, and understanding them is essential for clear and correct writing.

Main Clause (Independent)

A complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence.

I went to the market.
She is singing a song.
They played cricket.

Subordinate Clause (Dependent)

An incomplete thought that depends on a main clause.

"Because I was tired..." needs more information.
"When she called me..." needs more information.

Types of Subordinate Clauses

Adjective Clause

Describes a noun.

The book that you gave me is very interesting.

Adverb Clause

Tells why, when, where, or how.

I stayed inside because it was raining.

Noun Clause

Works as a noun in the sentence.

What you said surprised me.

Main vs. Subordinate: Key Differences

Feature	Main Clause	Subordinate Clause
Can stand alone?	Yes	No
Expresses full idea?	Yes	No
Needs support?	No	Yes
Example	I ate dinner.	...because I was hungry.

Key Takeaways

A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
Independent (main) clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Dependent (subordinate) clauses cannot stand alone and must be joined to an independent clause.
Dependent clauses add extra information about things like time, reason, or condition.