Clause Types

Abstract

It was pointed out in an earlier chapter that clauses are of two main types: main and subordinate. The main clause is also known as the superordinate clause since superordinate stands in direct contrast with subordinate. As the names imply, the main or superordinate clause is the primary structure to which all the words or other clauses stand in a subordinate relationship. The main clause can stand by itself, whereas subordinate clauses cannot usually do so because of their dependence upon the main clause. Subordinate clauses act either as sentence elements of the main clause — that is, they act as subject, object, or adjunct in the main clause — or else they form part of one of the sentence elements by acting, for example, as the qualifier of a noun group which is subject, object or complement of a clause. In very complex sentences it is possible to have one subordinate clause acting as an element of another clause which is itself subordinate to the main clause. Three classes of words can have their functions replaced by a clause — nouns, adjectives and adverbs; and in this chapter the clauses formed from them will be dealt with.