Question

Identify the main clause and subordinate clause in each of these sentences.
1. The old man picked up the bottle that was lying on the ground.
2. Mother was alarmed to see the front door open when she came home.
3. You can eat whatever you like.
4. When we were in Mumbai, we always walked to school.
5. The little girl who is singing is my niece.
6. The car that is at the gate belongs to my friend.
7. The judge declared that the defendant was innocent.
8. Mr Gupta makes New Year resolutions which he never keeps for more than a day.​

Answer 1

1. Main clause: The old man picked up the bottle Subordinate clause: It was lying on the ground.
2. Main clause: Mother was alarmed to see the front door open Subordinate clause: She came home.
3. Main clause: You can eat Subordinate clause: Whatever you like.
4. Main clause: When we were in Mumbai Subordinate clause: We always walked to school.
5. Main clause: The little girl is my niece Subordinate clause: She is singing
6. Main clause: The car belongs to my friend Subordinate clause: It is at the gate.
7. Main clause: The judge declared Subordinate clause: The defendant was innocent.
8. Main clause: Mr. Gupta makes New Year resolutions Subordinate clause: He never keeps for more than a day.

• In this exercise, you are supposed to identify the main clause and subordinate clause of each of the given sentences.
• In a complex sentence, you usually have two clauses i.e. the main clause and the subordinate clause. The main clause is the central focus of the sentence and contains the main information. The subordinate clause tells us more about the sentence and provides additional information.
• Subordinate clauses usually answer questions such as what, where, how, why, when, and more.
• Subordinate clauses are usually placed after a conjunction such as that, who, whom, and more.
• When identifying the subordinate clauses first divide the sentence into two and then understand which is the central focus and which part gives additional information.
• More often than not you will need to rewrite the sentences so taht they are grammatically correct and not incomplete.

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