Main Clauses and Subordinate Clauses

Main and Subordinate Clauses

Year 5/6

Poll

Your Learning Journey

Where are you currently?

What do you already know about clauses? Can you describe what a main, or subordinate, clause is?

• Pre-Structural

• Uni-Structural

• Multi-Structural

• Relational

• Extended Abstract

What is a clause?

• A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb. Clauses are used to build sentences in English.

• A clause contains a subject (the person or thing that the sentence is about which is usually the doer of the action) and a verb.

Open Ended

What do you think a main clause is?

Main Clauses

• A main clause is a selection of words and phrases that makes complete sense on its own.

• They include a subject and a verb.

• A main clause could make up a complete sentence e.g. The lion roared at its prey. Subject = lion. Verb = roared

Multiple Choice

What is the subject in this main clause?

'The baby cried.'

• baby

• cried

Multiple Choice

What is the subject in this main clause?

'Jack kicked the ball.'

• Jack

• kicked

• ball

Multiple Choice

What is the verb in this main clause?

'The spider spun a web'.

• spider

• spun

• web

Open Ended

Create your own main clause. Remember, it must include a subject and a verb.

Subordinate clauses

• Sometimes a sentence is made up of two clauses, a main clause (that makes sense on its own) and a subordinate clause.

• Subordinate clauses do not make sense on their own.

• A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence but is linked to the main clause using a subordinating conjunction. This is called a complex sentence.

• Subordinate clauses contain a noun and a verb.

Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses

Subordinate clauses can be found at the start, the middle and the end of a sentence. The sentences below give examples of each.

Sitting happily, the chicken laid eggs.

The chicken, who was busy laying eggs, sat happily.

The chicken laid eggs, sitting happily.

You may also notice that when your subordinate clause is in the middle of a sentence, it is normally separated by commas.

Multiple Choice

I like to stay up late because the days are getting longer.

• main

• subordinate

Multiple Choice

The chair is too small for me, so I am going to sell it.

• main

• subordinate

Multiple Choice

When I get to the beach, I'm going to jump right into the ocean.

• main

• subordinate

Multiple Choice

After she picks me up, Mom is taking me to buy shoes.

• main

• subordinate

Multiple Choice

I first met her in Paris where I lived as a child.

• main

• subordinate

Poll

Your Learning Journey

Where are you on your learning journey?

What have you achieved today? How did you get there?

How would you like to improve further?

• Pre-Structural

• Uni-Structural

• Multi-Structural

• Relational

• Extended Abstract