What Are Main and Subordinate Clauses? | KS2 English Concept for Kids

Summary

This educational video script delves into the structure of main and subordinate clauses in English grammar. Main clauses, also known as independent clauses, are self-sufficient groups of words containing a subject and a verb that express a complete thought. Examples include 'We flew some colorful kites' and 'The sun was shining and I felt happy.' Subordinate clauses, or dependent clauses, contain a subject and a verb but require a main clause for full meaning and often start with subordinating conjunctions, remembered by the acronym I SAW A WABUB. The script guides viewers through exercises to identify these clauses in sentences, enhancing understanding of their roles in constructing sentences.

Takeaways

• 📝 A main clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Main clauses are also known as independent clauses because they do not rely on other clauses for meaning.
• 🔍 To identify a main clause, look for a section of a sentence that includes both a subject and a verb and makes sense on its own.
• 📚 Examples of main clauses include 'We flew some colorful kites' and 'The dog chased the ball'.
• 📌 Main clauses can be expanded with additional clauses or phrases without changing the core structure that defines them as main clauses.
• ➕ A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb but does not make sense on its own and depends on a main clause to form a complete sentence.
• 🔑 Subordinate clauses are also called dependent clauses and often begin with subordinating conjunctions, which can be remembered by the acronym I SAW A WABUB (if, since, as, when, although, while, after, before, until, because).
• 🔎 To find a subordinate clause, look for a part of a sentence that starts with a subordinating conjunction and does not convey a complete thought independently.
• 📖 Examples of subordinate clauses include 'After having a long nap' and 'Although the strange creatures were small', which depend on the main clause to form a complete sentence.
• 📝 The difference between main and subordinate clauses lies in their ability to stand alone (main clauses can, subordinate clauses cannot) and their role in sentence structure.

Q & A

What is a main clause?

A main clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb that carries out the action. It expresses a complete thought and makes sense on its own as a sentence.

Why are main clauses also known as independent clauses?

Main clauses are called independent clauses because they can stand alone and express a complete thought without needing to be attached to another clause.

Can you provide an example of a main clause?

Yes, 'The dog chased the ball' is an example of a main clause because it contains a subject (the dog), a verb (chased), and makes sense on its own.

How can you identify a main clause in a sentence?

To identify a main clause, look for a part of the sentence that contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete thought.

What is the role of a subordinate clause in a sentence?

A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb but does not make sense on its own. It depends on a main clause to form a complete sentence.

What is the acronym I SAW A WABUB used for?

The acronym I SAW A WABUB is used to remember the most common subordinating conjunctions: if, since, as, when, although, while, after, before, until, and because.

Can a sentence have more than one main clause?

Yes, a sentence can have multiple main clauses, as long as each expresses a complete thought and contains a subject and a verb.

How does a subordinate clause differ from a main clause?

A subordinate clause differs from a main clause in that it does not make sense on its own and requires a main clause to form a complete sentence.

What is the function of a subordinating conjunction in a sentence?

A subordinating conjunction functions to link a subordinate clause to a main clause, providing a connection that helps form a complete sentence.

Can you give an example of a sentence with both a main and a subordinate clause?

Yes, 'Although the strange creatures were small, they were incredibly fast.' Here, 'Although the strange creatures were small' is a subordinate clause, and 'they were incredibly fast' is the main clause.

How can you tell if a clause is a subordinate clause?

A clause is a subordinate clause if it begins with a subordinating conjunction and does not make sense on its own, needing a main clause to complete its meaning.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding Main Clauses

This paragraph introduces the concept of main clauses, which are groups of words containing a subject and a verb that express a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. Examples such as 'We flew some colorful kites' and 'The dog chased the ball' are provided to illustrate main clauses. It's explained that main clauses can be expanded with other clauses or phrases without changing their essential structure. The paragraph also includes an interactive element where viewers are asked to identify the main clause in a given sentence, with 'I got out of bed' being the correct answer. Further examples and questions are used to reinforce the understanding of main clauses, emphasizing their ability to make sense independently within a sentence.

05:05

🔍 Identifying Subordinate Clauses

This section delves into subordinate clauses, which, unlike main clauses, do not make sense on their own and depend on a main clause to form a complete sentence. Subordinate clauses are introduced with subordinating conjunctions, such as 'if', 'since', 'as', 'when', 'although', 'while', 'after', 'before', 'until', and 'because'. The paragraph uses examples to show how these clauses fit into sentences, such as 'Although the strange creatures were small, they were incredibly fast.' Viewers are then engaged with questions that challenge them to identify subordinate clauses, with 'After eating a breakfast of next door’s washing' being an example. The paragraph concludes with a summary of how to spot subordinate clauses by looking for subordinating conjunctions and the clause's inability to stand alone.

10:06

📝 Distinguishing Between Main and Subordinate Clauses

The final paragraph of the script focuses on the practical application of identifying both main and subordinate clauses within sentences. It reiterates the differences: main clauses are self-contained and express a complete thought, while subordinate clauses require a main clause for full meaning. Examples like 'Goldilocks quickly ate the porridge before the bears returned home' are used to demonstrate this. The paragraph includes exercises where viewers label clauses as 'main' or 'subordinate' based on whether they can stand alone or not. It concludes with a wrap-up of the key points, reinforcing the importance of recognizing the role of each clause type in sentence construction.

Keywords

💡Main Clause

A main clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. In the video, main clauses are emphasized as the backbone of independent sentences. For instance, 'The dog chased the ball' is a main clause because it has a subject 'the dog' and a verb 'chased', and it conveys a complete idea.

💡Independent Clause

An independent clause is synonymous with a main clause, as it can exist on its own and is not dependent on any other clause for meaning. The video uses the term interchangeably with 'main clause', highlighting their ability to form complete sentences, such as 'We flew some colorful kites.'

💡Subordinate Clause

A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought on its own and thus depends on a main clause to form a complete sentence. The video explains that these clauses usually begin with a subordinating conjunction, like 'Although the strange creatures were small,' which depends on the main clause to make sense.

💡Dependent Clause

A dependent clause is another term for a subordinate clause, as it cannot stand alone and needs a main clause to complete its meaning. The video script uses this term to describe clauses that lack independent sentence status, such as 'if it managed to stay standing'.

💡Subordinating Conjunction

Subordinating conjunctions are words that introduce a subordinate clause and link it to the main clause. The video provides the acronym 'I SAW A WABUB' to remember common subordinating conjunctions like 'if', 'since', 'as', 'when', 'although', 'while', 'after', 'before', 'until', and 'because'.

💡Complete Thought

A complete thought is an idea that is fully expressed and can be understood without additional context. The video emphasizes that main clauses must express a complete thought to be considered independent, using examples like 'The sun was shining and I felt happy.'

💡Sentence Structure

Sentence structure refers to the arrangement of clauses and phrases to form a coherent sentence. The video discusses how main and subordinate clauses combine to create well-structured sentences, such as adding 'After having a long nap' to 'the dog chased the ball'.

💡Clause Function

Clause function describes the role a clause plays within a sentence. The video distinguishes between the functions of main and subordinate clauses, with main clauses carrying the primary message and subordinate clauses providing additional information or context.

💡Acronym I SAW A WABUB

The acronym I SAW A WABUB is a mnemonic device introduced in the video to help remember the most common subordinating conjunctions. It stands for 'if', 'since', 'as', 'when', 'although', 'while', 'after', 'before', 'until', and 'because', which are essential for identifying subordinate clauses.

💡Relative Clause

A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that provides additional information about a noun. The video mentions relative clauses as a subset of subordinate clauses, which cannot stand alone and require a main clause, such as 'which are related to brussel sprouts' in the sentence about cauliflowers.

💡Labelling Clauses

Labelling clauses is the process of identifying whether a clause in a sentence is main or subordinate. The video script guides viewers through exercises where they label clauses as 'M' for main or 'S' for subordinate, helping to reinforce the understanding of clause types.

Highlights

A main clause is a group of words containing a verb and a subject that carries out the verb, expressing a complete thought on its own.

Main clauses are also known as independent clauses because they can stand alone as complete sentences.

Examples of main clauses include 'We flew some colourful kites' and 'The dog chased the ball'.

Main clauses can have other clauses or phrases added to them without changing their essential structure.

Adding a subordinate clause to a main clause, such as 'After having a long nap,' does not alter its main clause status.

The main clause 'The dog chased the ball' remains intact even when additional information is added.

To identify a main clause, look for a part of the sentence containing a verb and a subject that makes sense independently.

In the sentence 'When my alarm sounded, I got out of bed,' the main clause is 'I got out of bed'.

Main clauses express complete thoughts and are the core of sentences, even when other elements are present.

Subordinate clauses contain a subject and a verb but do not make sense on their own and are dependent on main clauses.

Subordinate clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions, which can be remembered by the acronym I SAW A WABUB.

Examples of subordinate clauses include 'Although the strange creatures were small' and 'After giving several instructions'.

Subordinate clauses depend on the main clause to form a complete sentence that conveys a full meaning.

The subordinate clause 'After eating a breakfast of next door’s washing' begins with 'after' and requires a main clause for full sense.

In the sentence 'They were going to be late for the race since the engine wasn’t working,' 'since the engine wasn’t working' is a subordinate clause.

To identify a subordinate clause, look for a section starting with a subordinating conjunction and lacking independent sense.

Main and subordinate clauses both contain subjects and verbs, but only main clauses can stand alone as complete thoughts.

In the sentence 'When we went on our school trip, we played lots of games and we slept in a tent,' 'we played lots of games' and 'we slept in a tent' are main clauses.

Understanding the difference between main and subordinate clauses is crucial for sentence analysis and construction.

Transcripts

In this video, we will be looking at main clauses.

A main clause is a group of words containing a verb and a subject that carries out the

verb.

It makes sense on its own as a sentence and expresses a complete thought.

Main clauses are sometimes known as independent clauses because they stand independently on

their own.

We flew some colourful kites.

The dog chased the ball.

The skier jumped.

The sun was shining and I felt happy.

A main clause can have other clauses or phrases added to it.

However, the parts that make up the main clause still stay the same.

Let’s take a look at the main clause ‘The dog chased the ball.’

We can add a subordinate clause before the main clause so that the sentence becomes:

‘After having a long nap, the dog chased the ball.’

Although the sentence is now longer, ‘the dog chased the ball’ is still a main clause

because it’s the part of the sentence that contains a verb and a subject and that makes

sense on its own.

Let’s take a look at our first question.

Here, you’re being asked to underline the main clause in a sentence.

You will need to look for the part of the sentence that contains a verb and a subject

and makes sense on its own.

The sentence is: When my alarm sounded, I got out of bed.

What part of this sentence is the main clause?

Well done if you said ‘I got out of bed’.

This part of the sentence makes sense on its own.

For our next question, you’re being asked to tick the sentence that has a correctly

underlined main clause.

Let’s take a look at the sentences.

1.

The musky rat kangaroo, which has an excellent name, is my favourite animal.

2.

The cows had escaped despite a brand new fence being installed.

3.

The bluebells flowered underneath the woodland canopy.

4.

The large, heavy snake was draped over the child’s shoulders.

Which of the underlined words expresses a complete thought and makes sense on its own?

Well done if you said, ‘The cows had escaped’.

This clause makes sense on its own and expresses a complete thought.

Therefore, it is a main clause.

For the final question, you are being asked to put a tick in each box that is below a

main clause.

Pause your video now and hit play again when you have an answer.

Do you have an answer?

Great!

Let’s take a look at the sentence.

During our PE lesson, we ran around the playground and we learnt a new game.

Which boxes are below a main clause?

Let’s take a look at the answers.

‘We ran around the playground’ is a main clause and ‘we learnt a new game’ is a

main clause.

They each express a complete thought, contain a subject and a verb and make sense on their

own.

Well done if you got that question right.

Thank you for listening!

In this video, we will be looking at subordinate clauses.

A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb and does not make sense on its own.

They are sometimes known as dependent clauses because they depend on a main clause in order

to make a full sentence.

A subordinate clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction.

These can be remembered using the acronym I SAW A WABUB.

This shows us that the most common subordinating conjunctions are if, since, as, when, although,

while, after, before, until and because.

Let’s take a look at some subordinate clauses in action.

Although the strange creatures were small, they were incredibly fast.

They would spend many nights in this shelter if it managed to stay standing.

After giving several instructions, the leader sat down on a bottle cap.

In each of these sentences, the subordinate clause begins with a subordinating conjunction

and depends on the rest of the sentence to make sense.

Let’s take a look at our first question.

You’re being asked to underline the subordinate clause in the sentence below.

You’ll need to look for the part of the sentence that begins with a subordinating

conjunction and doesn’t make sense on its own.

After eating a breakfast of next door’s washing, the goat snacked on a tasty book.

Can you spot the subordinate clause?

Remember, it won’t make sense on its own.

Well done if you said, ‘After eating a breakfast of next door’s washing’.

This is a subordinate clause and begins with a subordinate conjunction - it needs to be

added to the main clause to make a full sentence that makes sense.

In this question, you’re being asked to tick the sentence that contains a correctly

underlined subordinate clause.

1.

The old, broken ship was being held together with sticky tape and a bit of hope.

2.

The hare held the spanner above its head and thought out loud.

3.

They were going to be late for the race since the engine wasn’t working.

4.

Sticking its tongue out, the alien carefully turned the delicate screw.

Which sentence contains an underlined section that begins with a subordinating conjunction

and doesn’t make sense on its own?

Well done if you said, ‘They were going to be late for the race since the engine wasn’t

working.’

‘Since the engine wasn’t working’ begins with the subordinating conjunction ‘since’.

For our final question, you’re being asked to underline the subordinate clause in each

sentence.

Pause the video now and hit play when you have an answer.

Do you have an answer?

Great!

Let’s take a look at the three sentences.

1.

Although Baabara was only a sheep, she was able to answer complicated questions.

2.

If you visit the farm, you might get to meet Wooliam.

3.

Lambar is the top of every class, despite being the first sheep to attend primary school.

Now, let’s take a look at the answers.

You will need to have underlined each word in the subordinate clause for them to be correct,

not just the subordinate conjunction!

The three subordinate clauses are: Although Baabara was only a sheep…

If you visit the farm…

and

… despite being the first sheep to attend primary school.

Well done if you were able to spot all three subordinate clauses!

Thank you for listening!

In this video, we will be looking at main and subordinate clauses and how to spot them

within a sentence.

To start, let’s take a look at the difference between a main clause and a subordinate clause.

A main clause is a group of words containing a verb and a subject that carries out the

verb.

It makes sense on its own as a sentence and expresses a complete thought.

Main clauses are sometimes known as independent clauses because they stand independently on

their own.

For example…

Goldilocks quickly ate the porridge.

The ninja jumped.

A horse was pulling an old fire engine.

A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb and does not make sense on its own.

They are sometimes known as dependent clauses because they depend on a main clause in order

to make a full sentence.

A subordinate clause usually starts with a subordinating conjunction.

The main subordinating conjunctions can be remembered by using the acronym: I SAW A WABUB.

For example…

Goldilocks quickly ate the porridge before the bears returned home.

The ninja jumped as the door slowly opened.

When the children visited the transport museum, a horse was pulling an old fire engine.

Both main and subordinate clauses contain a subject and a verb.

When recognising them within a sentence, it’s important to remember that main clauses make

sense on their own and subordinate clauses don’t.

Let’s take a look at our first question.

Here, you’re being asked to label each of the clauses in the sentence below to say whether

they are main or subordinate.

When we went on our school trip, we played lots of games and we slept in a tent.

The three clauses in this sentence are: ‘when we went on a school trip’; ‘we played

lots of games’ and ‘we slept in a tent’.

If the clause makes sense on its own, it’s a main clause and needs to be labelled with

the letter ‘M’.

If the clause doesn’t make sense on its own and begins with a subordinating conjunction,

it is a subordinate clause and needs to be labelled with the letter ‘S’.

Let’s take a look at the answers.

There was one subordinate clause and two main clauses in this sentence.

Well done if you got that one right.

For our next question, you’re being asked to tick one box in each row to show whether

the underlined clause is a main clause or a subordinate clause.

Let’s take a look at the sentences: Although the parrot knew many words, it was

very quiet today.

There is lots to choose from at the healthy tuck shop if you arrive early enough.

Cauliflowers, which are related to brussel sprouts, are a great source of vitamins.

If the underlined clause makes sense on its own, you’ll need to tick ‘main clause’.

If the clause doesn’t make sense on its own, you’ll need to tick ‘subordinate

clause’.

Let’s take a look at the answers.

Well done if you got all three of those right.

You might have noticed that the underlined clause in the final sentence is a relative

clause.

A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause because it doesn’t make sense on

its own and needs the main clause to make a complete sentence.

For our final question, you’re being asked to label each of the clauses in

the sentence below to say whether they are main or subordinate.

Pause your video now and hit play when you have an answer.

Do you have an answer?

Great!

Let’s take a look at the question.

After the race had finished, Jack had a drink because he was thirsty.

There are three clauses in this sentence.

One is a main clause and two are subordinate clauses.

Well done if you correctly labelled all three.

Thanks for listening!