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15 Kinds of Clauses

Warm-up

Underline the parts that can stand on their own.

1. Because of the rains, we could not go to the fair.
2. Although she was hungry, she did not eat the sandwiches.

3. When he saw the bear, he fled.
4. Because of the strong winds, the fire spread in every direction.

5. Stand up and face the wall.

6. While we slept, Mother went to buy groceries.

7. Nikita went to sleep because she was very tired.

8. I read this book when I was eight years old.

9. While the puppy slept, it snored.

Types of Clauses

You have learnt that clauses have a subject and a finite verb. Let us study more about
clauses. Clauses are of three kinds:

1. Principal Clause
A principal clause (also called a main clause, or an independent clause) has
a finite verb with a subject and conveys complete sense, i.e., it can stand on
its own.

2. Subordinate Clause

A subordinate clause (also called a dependent clause) has a finite verb with a
subject but does not convey complete sense on its own. It can, thus, never be a
sentence in itself and makes sense only when it is added to a principal clause.
For example,

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