Bravehearts
Main and subordinate clauses
Learn about main clauses and subordinate clauses.
Take a sentence from the unit and cut it in two: "I aspire to be courageous like him | when I join the army."
The first half stands on its own: "I aspire to be courageous like him" is a complete sentence. That's a main clause.
The second half doesn't: "when I join the army" leaves you waiting, then what? It depends on the main clause. That's a subordinate clause.
The joining words are subordinating conjunctions, and each shows a particular link:
| Conjunction | Shows | Example from the unit |
|---|---|---|
| when | time | I aspire to be courageous when I join the army. |
| because | reason | They feel grateful because of the bravehearts' sacrifices. |
| though | contrast | Though seriously wounded, he continued to fight. |
| so that | purpose | Memorials matter so that we never forget the cost of freedom. |
| where | place | This is the place where I was born. |
| unless | condition (= if not) | Unless you water the plants, they will die. |
To join two sentences: first decide how they're linked (time? reason? contrast? purpose? place? condition?), then pick the conjunction for that link.
Try it:
- "Wasi burst into tears. He heard the good news." (time) → Wasi burst into tears when he heard the good news.
- "Himani was very nervous. She gave a great presentation." (contrast) → Though Himani was very nervous, she gave a great presentation.
- "The students did very well. They studied hard." (reason) → The students did very well because they studied hard.
Practise this lesson
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