Questions tagged [subordinate-clauses]
A Subordinate Clause (or Dependent Clause) has a Subject and a Verb but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
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The principal clause lacking helping verb
There were chickens, pigeons and legs of mutton in the roast and an appetizing odor of roast, beef. Leaf and gravy dripping over the browned skin, which increased the appetite and made everybody's ...
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What kinds of subordinate clauses can a wh phrase be extracted from? What kinds not?
The following sentence has a subordinate clause:
Spock asked Kirk [whether Scotty fixed the warp drive].
I want to derive a Wh-question from the sentence, so that the wh-word or interrogative ...
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As or no as in the following sentences?
As John Lennon once said, life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
As Albert Einstein once said, ''not everything that counts, and not everything that's counted truly counts. '...
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I injured my leg falling off my motorcycle
If I accidentally fell off my motorcycle while riding it, which can I say:
I injured my leg falling off my motorcycle.
I injured my leg by falling off my motorcycle.
I injured my leg from falling ...
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what does a prepositional phrase that follows a that clause modify?
Consider the following sentence:
As secretary, you are to set a meeting agenda that includes discussions in concert with the boss.
What word does the prepositional phrase "in concert with the ...
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Which clauses are emphasized in sentences containing although (or though) or but?
Suppose A and B are clauses.
Which of A and B is more emphasized than the other in
A, although (or though) B.
Although (or though) B, A.
and
A, but B.
Are the answers B, A, and B?
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which is similar to adversary condition and which to unexpected result in sentences containing although or but?
Suppose A and B are clauses.
Is the meaning of
A, although (or though) B.
closer to "A in spite that (or even if) B" or "B in spite that (or even if) A"?
Same question for the ...
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Usage of 'that's'
What is the grammatical usage of 'that's' in this sentence?
The best approach is to view deadlines as a challenge that you have to meet within a period that's imminent.
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"Backshift - the changing of a tense when reporting what somebody said." — There is no subject for the verb "reporting". Is it omitted?
cambridge.org:
(1) We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh-questions.
As far as I understand, the dependent clause "reporting wh-questions" doesn't have a subject because the subject ...
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I am happy I could/was able to help you. - which one?
Example 1
I am happy I could help you.
I remember "could" is used to talk about general ability in the past.
So, why is it being used here? Is it because it is in a subordinate clause?
I ...
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Until as a subordinate conjunction and a preposition
Until can be used as a subordinate conjunction (subordinate clauses follow until) and a preposition (noun/noun phrase/gerund/to infinite follows it.)
What is the grammar of these sentences?
Example 1: ...
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Not sure if "see" is used intransitively or transitively
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged
Much that dog and see won't he come along ―Horace Kephart
Does the sentence mean
If he won't come along, much that dog and see
("see&...
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She is poor at writing grammatical English(,) because you can find that she has obvious grammar errors in her English. - difference in meaning?
Example 1
She is poor at writing grammatical English, because you can find that she has obvious grammar errors in her English.
Example 2
She is poor at writing grammatical English because you can ...
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When they passed the admission test, they would enter the university. - if he doesn't even have a child yet, is this construction correct?
Example 1
Hey, Amy. If you guys had a child, you would have to take care of them until they turned 18. When they passed the admission test, they would enter the university. It would mean you would ...
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Whereas usage in comparison
Is the usage of "whereas" correct?
As far as I know is that I should use complete clause after "whereas" it's similar to "but" in usage However , "whereas" ...
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"…to the end that a blessed status be attained in the future world…" — If we replaced "be" with "will be", would the sentence meaning remain the same?
As far as I understand, after "to the end that", we can use both the subjunctive and indicative.
Is it true?
an example from a book:
As teachers of this law, and as ministers of its ...
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What nomenclature would contemporary descriptive grammar use to describe an "afterthought" lacking an explicit verb at the end of a sentence?
Jack has a lot of money—more than he needs.
How would contemporary descriptive grammar analyze more than he needs there?
Would "more than he needs" be analyzed as a supplemental noun phrase?...
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Tenses in subordinate clauses
In most subordinate clauses we can't use "will" to refer to the future. This is usually true after conjuntions of time, question words, if, whether and in defining relative clauses.
However, ...
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Comma between two dependent clauses that follow independent clause in the complex sentence
Should I put a comma before "or" in such a sentence:
You will receive an email if your request is approved or if additional documents are needed
I can't find any rules on the Internet.
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At a female bar, female bartenders serve you drinks. - What is the point in putting an adverbial phrase or clause at the beginning of a sentence? [closed]
What is the point in putting an adverbial phrase or clause at the beginning of a sentence?
Does that have anything to do with emphasizing?
Example 1
At a female bar, female bartenders serve you ...
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Why does the subordinate clause not have the verb “be”?
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 4:
The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though, when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to ...
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Is this a valid use of "when"?
I want to make sure that this is a correct and natural way of using "when" for describing a line graph.
It kept falling until June when it reached the lowest point of -3%.
I want to say ...
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'It is impossible' followed by a that-clause vs. 'It is impossible' followed by a for + Noun Phrase + to + Infinitive construction
It is impossible that everyone is telling the truth.
It is impossible for everyone to be telling the truth.
What on earth is the difference between the meanings of two sentences above?
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How shall "...with his denial that we have any grasp of the way the world is independent of the way our minds construct our experience" be parsed?
On p173 of Section "Subjective Truth and the Problem of Relativism" in The Big Questions by Solomon:
Rationality is tying our knowledge and our lives together in the most coherent and ...
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It seems the main clause is absent in this complex sentence. Why is it correct?
I saw this complex sentence in the CGEL Quirk et al.
What surprises me is that they are fond of snakes and lizards.
In this sentence, the subject is the wh-clause and the predicative is that-clause.
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Does it make any differences in meaning when the subordinate clause is at the end or beginning of the sentence?
Does it make any differences in meaning when the subordinate clause is at the end or beginning of the sentence?
Example 1
Mom always makes sure Tom has food to eat before he leaves for school.
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Whatever and whichever usage
Whatever Alice offers him, Fred eats.
Whatever you like, you may take.
Whichever wing succeeded first would wheel inwards and help the other.
Why the 3rd example does not have a comma after the ...
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one or two sentences?
The following is a link to a CNN news story.
https://www.facebook.com/cnninternational/videos/this-pool-loving-pup-cant-get-enough-time-in-the-water-see-his-reaction-to-getti/1414625682685648/
There ...
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Must "which" be at the start of a subordinate clause?
To my ears, the following sounds correct:
Tell me which car you will use.
but the following sounds incorrect:
Tell me you will use which car.
An LLM told me they are both correct. Is it right?
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"be the way you are" vs. "be the way as you are"
Don't be afraid of being the way you are
Don't be afraid of being the way as you are.
Don't be afraid of being the way that you are.
Is there any difference among them?
I feel natural with 'being ...
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'I was eating when he came home' vs 'He came home when I was eating'
Is there any difference between these two sentences?
I was eating when he came home.
and
He came home when I was eating.
Supun Sanjeewa
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What is the subject of the verb [settle]? He waited until complete quiet settled on the assembly
A sentence from dictionay assembly: entry 2 in Collins
He waited until complete quiet settled on the assembly.
I guess
complete is an adjective and quiet ia an uncountable noun
What is the subject ...
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Why can the clause "As well as can be measured" lack the subject?
Could you please help me with the grammar in this sentence?
More economic variation took shape in rural villages, as some grew prosperous from farming while others did not. As well as can be measured,...
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What does "that" refer to in " This option reduces stitching artifacts that result when"? [closed]
I see a sentence in a book:
This option reduces stitching artifacts that result when part of an
object is rasterized while another part remains in vector form (as
determined by the Raster/Vector ...
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"Despite the fact that x" <-- phrase, a clause, or phrase + a clause?
I know that “despite” is a preposition.
However, I am confused about its role in the following sentence (and similar sentences that use “despite the fact that”):
SENTENCE: Despite the fact that I was ...
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Is it impossible that noun clauses beginning with "when" can function as a subject?
___is impossible to tell now.
(A) When will it snow
(B) Whether will snow
(C) When it snows
(D) Whether it will snow
I found this in my homework.
the answer is D.
but C for option confuses me, ...
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What kinds of subordinate clauses can I use here? "She doesn't like (it) (if/when/that) I tell other people"
She doesn't like it if I tell other people about it.
This is a sentence I am writing. This version above sounds the best to my ear.
She doesn't like if I tell other people about it.
Without the &...
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Does this question remain the same when it is a subordinate clause: "Who can tell me what day is it today?"
This is from an English teaching web site School conversation (see:01:15)
Who can tell me what day is it today?
As we know, a question sentence changes structure when it functions as a subordinate ...
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If I knew where she <lived><lives> now, I'd go and see her
(1) If I knew where she lived now, I'd go and see her.
(2) If I knew where she lives now, I'd go and see her.
[Question] Which is correct?
I think that (1) is correct, but a Japanese teacher of ...
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Negation after "but"
I would like to ask which option sounds more natural/common/idiomatic to you.
1a. The hat looks red but the bag does not.
1b. The hat looks red but the bag not.
Similarly, could you please also ...
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Is the which clause in this sentence used correctly?
Is this sentence natural or at least grammatically correct?
At least he is not a simp, which many people are.
I was told that which shouldn't be used to refer to people, which seems to be confirmed ...
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"I am curious what you think" or "I am curious about what you think"?
"What you think" is the object in the sentence, while what is a pronoun, so it should be "I am curious about something", not "I am curious something"?
XComhghall
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Past Simple or Present Perfect in a Subordinate Clause with 'Until'
I waited until he found out the truth before I attempted to explain myself.
OR
I waited until he had found out the truth before I attempted to explain myself.
Is Past Perfect necessary here? I ...
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Could I use future with the when clause in this case?
Could you send it when the Christmas rush will be over.
Could you send it when the Christmas rush is over.
Are they both grammatical and what is the difference in their meaning?
I think the first one ...
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Can I put "as evidenced by" as a non-essential clause here?
Overall, as corruption is widespread, as evidenced by corruption at
both the elite and grassroots levels, socialism does not work.
Is the above sentence correct? I tried to modify "widespread&...
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Does "may" in an independent clause also refer to the following dependent clause introduced by "because"?
Suppose that some people say "professionals, such as doctors, should be required to work in the country where they did their training."
Now supposed that we are asked to discuss their ...
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"Mark insisted that he would be the one who <told> <tells> <will tell> <would tell> John the bad news."
(1) Mark insists that he will be the one who tells John the bad news.
(2) Mark insists that he will be the one who will tell John the bad news.
Do (1) and (2) mean the same? If not, then why not?
...
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ellipsis after "although"
infopop.cc:
(1a) Although poor, he is quite happy. — correct
(1b) Although he is poor, he is quite happy. — correct
My variant:
(1c) Although is poor, he is quite happy. — I don't know if it's correct
...
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Commas with introductory clauses
Can you please help me explain why there has to be a comma with this sentence:
"Not only have these injuries taught me a lot about myself (comma) they have helped me gain an unexplainable ...
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Should a comma be put before 'and' when it is in a subordinate clause?
In 1980, the west of the coastal village had a woodland, marsh, hotel, and holiday cottages, in addition to two road branches, although in 2010, there was a golf course occupying the site of the ...
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