When you have complex writing to do, you have to explain, enumerate options, allow for contingencies, and describe things fully. Your writing often requires subordinate clauses to express the complexities of your ideas.
Subordinate clauses are dependent clauses. Both names
are used. They need an independent clause to make a complete sentence.
An independent clause is basically a simple sentence.
| Dependent clauses do not express complete thoughts. They often start with a conjunction: because, although, if, when, and, but, so. | An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. |
Wrong: Because the office was closed.
(This is a dependent, subordinate, clause
and cannot stand alone. It is a sentence fragment.
It is made subordinate by the conjunction because.)
There are several other types of dependent clauses:
Adjective clauses:
The ambassador, who grew up in Bolivia, speaks
perfect Spanish.
Adverb clauses:
Since she speaks such good Spanish, she has
been very effective.
Adverb clauses of condition:
If he spoke better German, he
would be more effective.
Noun clauses:
What I need is a more challenging job.
He asked me what I wanted.
It is very important to remember that these dependent clauses cannot be used by themselves.
That's a sentence fragment.
| Sentence Fragments |
| Who grew up in Bolivia. ~~ Since she
speaks such good Spanish.
If he spoke better German. ~~ What I need. ~~ What I wanted. |
It is also useful to remember that they should be treated as units that
are dependent on the rest
of the sentence. Be aware of how you treat dependent clauses in your
sentences. Don't be afraid of them--they add a wonderful richness to your
language--but treat them right!
| Punctuation alert! |
|