Clauses
Spanish clauses are divided into two main types:main (independent) clausesandsubordinate (dependent) clauses.
Main Clauses
Main clauses can stand alone as complete sentences. They express a complete thought.
Subordinate Clauses
Subordinate clauses cannot stand alone and depend on a main clause. They add extra information.
Subordinate clauses are introduced byconjunctionsorrelative pronouns.
Types of Subordinate Clauses
1. Adverbial Clauses
Explain when, why, how, or under what conditions something happens.
2. Relative Clauses
Describe or give more information about a noun.
3. Noun Clauses
Function as the subject, object, or complement in a sentence.
Examples of Subordinate Clauses
Summary
- Main clauses express complete ideas and can stand alone.
- Subordinate clauses add meaning and depend on main clauses.
- Subordinate clauses include adverbial (time, cause, condition), relative (describe nouns), and noun clauses (serve as sentence parts).
- Spanish conjunctions and pronouns signal the type of subordinate clause.
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025