This set of English Grammar Exercises (MCQs) focuses on “Analysis of Complex Sentences – Subordinate Clause”.
1. Identify the subordinate clause in the given complex sentence.
The dress which her sister bought is very beautiful.
a) The dress which her sister bought
b) her sister bought is very beautiful
c) The dress is very beautiful
d) which her sister bought
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Explanation: A complex sentence is the sentence that contains one independent clause in it and one or more dependent clauses connected by subordinating conjunctions. It comes as a complete sentence and cannot stand alone without requiring a second clause. The subordinate clause is the dependent clause in the complex sentence that comes with a principal clause. Here, “The dress is very beautiful” is the principal clause with the subordinate clause, “which her sister bought” in between.
2. Identify the subordinate clause in the given complex sentence.
This is the phone that I bought.
a) the phone I bought
b) This is the phone
c) that I bought
d) I bought the phone
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Explanation: A complex sentence is the sentence that contains one independent clause in it and one or more dependent clauses connected by subordinating conjunctions. It comes as a complete sentence and cannot stand alone without requiring a second clause. Here, the subordinate clause, “that I bought” that acts as the dependent clause preceded by the principal clause is “This is the phone”.
3. Pick the subordinate clause of the complex sentence from the given options.
The balloon went up when it was inflated with helium.
a) The balloon went up
b) when it was inflated with helium
c) went up when it was inflated
d) it was inflated with helium
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Explanation: Here, the principal clause is “the balloon went up” followed by the subordinate clause, “when it was inflated with helium”. The subordinate clause in a complex sentence is the dependent clause which cannot give meaning without the remaining part (principal clause) of the sentence. The principal clause is the independent clause that gives meaning even when separated from the rest of the sentence.
4. Which one is the subordinate clause of the complex sentence among the given?
Joshua did not attend the meeting because he was not feeling well.
a) Joshua did not attend the meeting
b) because he was not feeling well
c) attend the meeting
d) Joshua was not feeling well
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Explanation: A complex sentence is a sentence one independent clause and one dependent clause in it. These independent and dependent clauses are connected using a subordinate conjunction. The main clause can stand alone by itself and it is also called the principal clause. The remaining part of the sentence that acts as the dependent clause is the subordinate clause. Here, “Joshua did not attend the meeting” is the principal clause followed by a subordinate clause, “because he was not feeling well”. The subordinate conjunction is “because”.
5. The subordinate clause of the complex sentence given is _____
Vinod could not find the car key that he had kept on the table.
a) could not find the car key
b) that he had kept on the table
c) Vinod could not find the car key
d) Vinod had kept on the table
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Explanation: The complex sentence contains one independent and one or more dependent clauses that are connected by a subordinate conjunction. They also have two or more subjects and two or more verbs in them. Here, the sentence “Vinod could not find the car key that he had kept on the table” has one main clause “Vinod could not find the car key” and one subordinate clause “that he had kept on the table” along with the subordinate conjunction “that”. The subordinate clause acts as the dependent clause in a complex sentence. Thus, the subordinate clause here is, “that he had kept on the table”.
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