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Subordinate Clauses:

Noun Clause: does the work of a noun or a noun phrase…

The common conjunction: that

e.g.

We never expected defeat. (‘defeat’ – noun)

We never expected to lose the match.  (‘to lose the match’ — noun phrase

We never expected that we would lose the match.

‘We never expected’ — main clause

‘that’ – conjunction

‘that we would lose the match’ — subordinate clause

Adjective Clause: does the work of an adjective or an adjective phrase…

The common conjunctions are: ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘whom’, ‘whose’, ‘that’, etc.

e.g.

She is a famous woman.  (‘famous’ – adjective)

She is a woman of great fame.  (‘of great fame’ — adjective phrase)

She is the woman who has great fame.  (‘who has great fame’ — adjective clause)

{more on Adjective/Relative Clauses}

Adverb clause: does the work of an adverb or an adverb phrase…

The common conjunctions depend on the kind of Adverb Clause.

e.g.

They started then.  (‘then’ — adverb = at that time)

They started at sunset. (‘at sunset’ — adverb phrase)

They started when the sun went down. (‘when the sun went down’ — adverb clause – of time)

[‘when’ in this clause is not asking us any question; it is telling us the time at which they started]

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There are NINE kinds in ‘Adverb Clauses’.

Kinds of Adverb Clauses:

1.  adverb clause of TIME:

shows the time at which an activity happened; and is connected to the Main Clause by one of the subordinate conjunctions –

when, whenever, while, after, before, since, as, etc.

e.g.

He was working when I saw him.

She went home after she had finished her work.

As soon as they’ve accomplished the task, they will go.

2.  adverb clause of PLACE:

shows the place where something happened; and is connected to the Main Clause by one of the subordinate conjunctions –

where, wherever, etc.

e.g.

This is the place where I live.

Keep your bags wherever you like.

3.  adverb clause of PURPOSE:

shows for what purpose the clause is used; and is connected to the Main Clause by one of the subordinate conjunctions –

that, in order that, so that, lest, etc.

e.g.

He worked hard so that he could get a good rank.

[what was the purpose of his working hard? = he could get a good rank]

We talked softly lest the baby should wake.

[what was the purpose of our talking softly? = not to wake the baby –

‘should’ is the only helping verb used in the Subordinate Clause when the conjunction is ‘lest’]

4.  adverb clause of REASON:

shows the reason why the clause is used; and is connected to the Main Clause by any one of the subordinate conjunctions –

because, since, as, etc.

e.g.

He returned home early because he was tired.

Since it was raining, we stayed at home.

5.  adverb clause of CONDITION:

shows what condition is to be fulfilled to get the desired result in the Main Clause; and is connected to the main clause by

any one of the subordinate conjunctions – if, whether, unless, etc.

['If' clause conditionals >>>]

e.g.

If you work hard, you will get good results.

They will not let you in unless you show your ID card.

6.  adverb clause of RESULT:

shows what result is expected of the clause; and is connected to the Main Clause by any one of the conjunctions –

so…that, such…that, etc.

e.g.

The film was so good that it was rated the best of top ten.

He is such a fool that anybody can cheat him.

7.  adverb clause of COMPARISON:

shows the DEGREES OF COMPARISON; and is connected to the Main Clause by any one of the subordinate conjunctions –

than, as…as, etc.   {for more, go to ‘Degrees of Comparison’}

e.g.

My brother ran faster than your brother (ran).

8.  adverb clause of SUPPOSITION/CONCESSION/CONTRARY TO THE FACT:

shows the opposite activity being done in the Main Clause; and is connected to the Main Clause

by any one of the subordinate conjunctions – though, although, even if, etc.

e.g.

Though it was raining heavily, he left home without an umbrella.

[It is a fact that people go out with umbrellas when it rains, but the person

in our example sentence left home without an umbrella which shows

contrary to the fact.]

He did not pass the test although he worked hard.

[It is a fact that people are successful when they work hard, but the person

in our example sentence did not pass the test which shows something

opposite to the fact.]

9.  adverb clause of MANNER:

shows in what way something is done in the expression; and is connected to the Main Clause

by any one of the subordinate conjunctions – as, as if, as though, etc.

e.g.

He walked unsteadily as though he were drunk.

[The speaker of this sentence was not sure whether the person in

the sentence was drunk or not, but the way ‘he’ walked made

the speaker think that ‘he’ was drunk.

Notice that the Main Verb in the subordinate clause ‘were’ is used

with the 3^rd person singular pronoun ‘he’ which normally takes ‘is’

in the present tense and ‘was’ in the past tense!

This usage of ‘were’ is to express a doubtful condition.]

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A couple of important points…

The Position of Subordinate Clauses in a Sentence:

a subordinate clause may be placed either before or after or in the middle of a main clause…

e.g.

He failed the test although he worked hard. [after the Main Clause]

Although he worked hard, he failed the test. [before the Main Clause]

The boy who broke the window was punished. [in the middle of the Main Clause]

each of the subordinate clauses of the same kind is connected to the

Main Clause by any one of the conjunctions belonging to the same

group… [because, as, since belong to the same group showing REASON, therefore, any one of them can be used;

some of them, like as, may be found in other kinds of the adverb clauses]

e.g.

He returned home early because he was tired.

He returned home early as he was tired.

Since he was tired, he returned home early.

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