A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Clauses are the building blocks of English sentences. Understanding clauses is essential for making grammatically correct and meaningful sentences.
What is a Clause?
A clause is a part of a sentence that includes at least one subject (who or what the sentence is about) and one verb (what the subject is doing).
Examples:
She runs. (This is a complete clause — “She” is the subject, “runs” is the verb.)
When he arrived… (This is also a clause — but it feels incomplete.)
Some clauses can stand alone as complete sentences. Others depend on another clause to complete their meaning.
Types of Clauses
Clauses are mainly of two types:
1. Main Clause (Independent Clause)
2. Subordinate Clause (Dependent Clause)
Let’s look at them one by one.
1. Main Clause (Independent Clause)
A main clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
It has:
A subject
A verb
A complete meaning
Examples:
I went to the market.
She is singing a song.
They played cricket.
You can say these sentences alone and they make complete sense — that’s why they are called independent clauses.
Use in Complex Sentences:
In longer sentences, the main clause carries the central idea.
Example:
Although it was raining, I went for a walk.
→ “I went for a walk” is the main clause.
2. Subordinate Clause (Dependent Clause)
A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It depends on a main clause to give it full meaning.
It also has a subject and a verb, but the idea is incomplete.
Examples:
Because I was tired…
(Incomplete – Why? What happened because you were tired?)When she called me…
(Incomplete – What happened when she called?)
To make these clauses meaningful, we need to attach them to a main clause:
Complete Sentences:
Because I was tired, I went to bed early.
When she called me, I was driving.
Here, the subordinate clause gives extra information, such as time, reason, condition, etc.
Types of Subordinate Clauses:
Subordinate clauses are often introduced by subordinating conjunctions like:
because, although, since, when, if, while, unless, even though, before, after
There are 3 main types of subordinate clauses:
a) Adverb Clause:
Tells why, when, where, or how
Example: I stayed inside because it was raining.
b) Adjective Clause:
Describes a noun
Example: The book that you gave me is very interesting.
c) Noun Clause:
Works as a noun in the sentence
Example: What you said surprised me.
Key Differences Between Main & Subordinate Clauses:
| Feature | Main Clause | Subordinate Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Can stand alone? | Yes | No |
| Expresses full idea? | Yes | No |
| Needs support? | No | Yes |
| Example | I ate dinner. | Because I was hungry. |
Summary:
A clause has a subject + verb.
A main clause makes sense on its own.
A subordinate clause needs a main clause to complete its meaning.
Subordinate clauses add extra information like time, reason, condition, etc.
Understanding how main and subordinate clauses work together helps you write better, clearer sentences — especially in essays, conversations, and emails.