CLAUSES

 

Clauses is a meaningful group of words with a verb in it. It  is a part of a sentence which has its own subject (noun or pronoun before the verb) and own finite verb (before which a subject is) showing tense. 
Clause analysis is possible only with a complex sentence.

For example:
Q. This is the book which is very interesting.
Ans. There are TWO CLAUSES in it.
        This is the book - MAIN CLAUSE. (It makes a COMPLETE sentence & can stand by itself).
        which is very interesting - SUBORDINATE CLAUSE.
(It does not makes a complete sentence and can't stand by itself. It is INCOMPLETE. It is DEPENDENT on the MAIN CLAUSE. Therefore, this type of clause is called a SUBORDINATE CLAUSE.)

Q. How will you know which are subordinate clause?
Ans. The commonly used Subordinators are: (what, which, when, how, had, as, as if, after , though, although, even though, because, before, if, till, that, than, even if, since, unless, until, so that, such that).

For example:

1. He knew that it was snake.
Ans. He knew - Main clause, that it was snake - Subordinate clause

2. When I came here it was raining.
Ans. it was raining - Main clause, When I came here - Subordinate clause .

 

Subordinate Clauses are of three types: Noun Clause, Adjective Clause, Adverb Clause.