Main and Subordinate Clauses

Unless Carlota finishes her maths homework, she will have to suffer Pedro's ire in class tomorrow.

• main

• subordinate

While Virginia slept on the sofa in front of the television, Samson, the family dog, gnawed on the leg of the coffee table.

• main

• subordinate

Jeffrey gasped when a six-foot snake slithered across the sidewalk.

• main

• subordinate

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

• main

• subordinate

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

• main

• subordinate

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

• main

• subordinate

No one speaks until Raquel has her first cup of coffee.

• main

• subordinate

A subordinate clause is a group of words that is dependent on the main clause because it doesn't make sense on its own.

• True

• False

I can recognise that a complex sentence contains a main (independent) clause and at least one dependent clause.

I can recognise two types of dependent clauses: subordinate clauses and relative clauses.

• I have read my success criteria.

• I have read and understood my success criteria.

Subordinate clauses start with a ____________________________.

• conjunction

• subordinating connective

• subordinating conjunction

• sentence opener