Tricks to recognize SUBORDINATED sentences

When we want to make a syntactic analysis we need to know the type of prayers we are dealing with. Compound sentences can be of several types and we must identify them to be able to do the parsing correctly. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to focus on tricks to recognize subordinate clauses. We want you to always be right through them when identifying them.

First of all, you need to know what subordinate clauses are. These types of statements are found within compound sentences. The subordination relationship occurs when within the same sentence one of the propositions that make it up is more important than the others within the statement. For both propositions to be united, it will be necessary to have a link that is in charge of showing us the relevance of each of them and marking us which is the subordinate one.

Due to their nature they can replace the noun phrase, the adverbial or the adjectival phrase. This particularity causes them to be divided into three subgroups:

• Subordinate Noun Sentences
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  : are those in which the subordinate proposition works as an indirect complement, as a complement direct, as a complement of the noun, as a subject, as an adjectival complement, as an adverbial complement or as supplement.
• Subordinate Adjective or Relative Sentences: these types of sentences are those that are introduced by means of a relative pronoun (what, what, who), a relative adverb (when, where, how) or a relative determinant (whose / -a / -os / -as).
• Subordinate Adverbial Sentences: are those that function as a circumstantial complement (of place, mode, time, cause, consequence, purpose and condition) or not circumstantial (concessive or comparative).

Now that we know the definition of subordinate clause and the types that can be found within them, let's see some tricks that will help you to recognize them easily. In this case, we are going to make a classification according to the types of subordinates that we have referred to previously.

Recognize Subordinate Subordinate Sentences

Subordinate substantive clauses are those that perform the same functions that a noun within a sentence. Therefore, if we want to recognize them easily, we must first look at the links that appear in them, which will be the following:

• Conjunctions: we can find them with the conjunctions Que y si. For example the prayer Mark said that he would come.
• Determinants: the determiners and interrogative or exclamatory pronouns can also function as a nexus for subordinate clauses. For example, the sentence I don't know what bug bit you.
• Interrogative Adverbs: in the same way as in the previous cases, they can be joined by an interrogative adverb as in the sentence Ask him when he will come

Due to these particularities of substantive subordinate clauses, when identifying them we can apply the following trick:

Replace the nexus with: this, that, that, one thing.

If we take the first sentence as an example: Marcos said he would come, we find that the subordinate clause is: that would come. Here we find the nexus that, therefore, we can already classify it within the nouns. However, to make sure, we will see that the proposition that would come is the direct complement. At this point, if we use the trick that we have indicated, we can verify that the sentence is in the following ways:

• Marcos said one thing
• Marcos said this
• Marcos said that
• Marcos said that
• The same trick can be applied to other sentences of this type.

Substantive Adjective or Relative Sentences

Adjective or relative substantive sentences are those that fulfill the function of complementing the name. These can be identified through the nexus since they will always be accompanied by one of the following:

• Relative pronouns: what, what, who, how much and whose. We see an example in the sentence The dog that was given to him was a Maltese.
• Relative adverbs: Where as when. You can see it in the sentence Always remember the day when you met.

In order to check if the sentence we are dealing with is an adjective or relative noun subordinate, we can apply two different tricks:

• Replace the subordinate clause with an adjective.
• Replace the nexus with any of the following structures: which or which.

Let's see these tricks applied to the previous sentences. In the case of The dog they gave him was a Maltese, we are going to replace the nexus and the subordinate clause with an adjective. Thus, the sentence would be as follows:

• The pretty dog ​​was a Maltese.
• The dog that they gave him was a Maltese.

Subordinate Adverbial Sentences

The adverbial subordinate clauses are those that fulfill the function of a circumstantial complement, be this of place, time, mode, comparison, cause, consequence... The links that appear in this type of sentence can be the following:

• Adverbs or adverbial conjunctions: where, how, when, why, although, etc. An example is the sentence Write from where he lives on the other side of the world.
• Conjunctive phrases: consequently, since, so that, as if, while, etc. As in the sentence I could not get there as the traffic was terrible.

The tricks that we can use to recognize subordinate clauses of this type are the following:

1. Replace the subordinate clause with a simple adverb: of place, of time of way ...
2. Look at the links that compose them
3. Look at its meaning

To understand it better, let's see the examples previous:

In the sentence Write from where he lives on the other side of the world, we find that the subordinate clause is: from where he lives. In this case, we can replace the entire subordinate sentence with an adverb of place, leaving the sentence as follows: Write from there on the other side of the world.

If we meet prayer He called to tell you something this sentence denotes intention, therefore it cannot be replaced by a simple adverb. In this case, we must always pay attention to its meaning that denotes a purpose.