Subordinating conjunctions are used at the beginning of clauses to create dependent clauses. Which term best describes that dependent clause?

• A. Dependent clause
• B. Independent clause
• C. Relative clause
• D. Noun clause

Answer: (A)

Subordinating conjunctions introduce clauses that rely on the rest of the sentence to complete the thought. That kind of clause is called a dependent clause because it cannot stand alone as a sentence. It often provides information like why, when, or under what condition something happened, and it typically functions as part of the larger sentence (often as an adverbial clause). For example: Because it was late, we left. The clause “Because it was late” cannot stand by itself and depends on the main clause “we left” to form a complete idea.

This is different from an independent clause, which can stand alone as a complete sentence; a relative clause, which modifies a noun and usually starts with who, which, or that; and a noun clause, which functions as a noun within the sentence (such as the subject or object). The term that best describes the described dependent clause is simply dependent clause.