Clause

Dependent Clauses

Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as sentences. They usually begin with subordinating conjunctions. A sentence with an independent clause and any number of dependent clauses is referred to as a complex sentence. One with two or more independent clauses and any number of dependent clauses is referred to as a compound-complex sentence.

Examples:

• My sister cried because she scraped her knee. (complex sentence)
  
  • Subjects: My sister, she
    
  • Predicates: cried, scraped her knee
    
  • Subordinating conjunction: because

• When they told me I won the contest, I cried, but I didn't faint. **(compound-complex sentence)
  
  • Subjects: they, I, I, I
    
  • Predicates: told me, won the contest, cried, didn't faint
    
  • Subordinating conjunctions: When, that (understood)
    
  • Coordinating conjunction: but