= Subordinate clause
A <subordinate clause> is a <clause (grammar)> embedded within a larger grammatical construction, where it supplies part of the structure or interpretation. It contrasts with a <main clause> in that construction. Subordination describes a relationship among units, rather than merely identifying whichever words occur after a comma.<Subordinate Clause in the SIL Glossary of Linguistic Terms>[Definition, embedding and function within the larger construction]{ref}
In the original example `The sensor stopped because the battery failed`, `because the battery failed` supplies a reason for the main assertion. In `I know that the sensor stopped`, the embedded material instead supplies what is known. Both contain their own subject-predicate organization, while contributing differently to the larger expression.
A structural analysis can vary the embedded content while preserving its role in the surrounding <syntax>. Comparing that pattern across examples helps distinguish an embedded <grammatical constituent> from an unrelated second assertion. The analysis must also keep the grammatical embedding separate from whether the speaker actually believes the embedded content.
Back to article page
