Hello, I'm an expert in the field of linguistics and I'm here to help you understand the concepts of main clauses and subordinate clauses with examples.
A main clause, also known as an independent clause, is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate (or verb phrase) and can stand alone as a complete sentence. It expresses a complete thought or idea. On the other hand, a subordinate clause, also known as a dependent clause, is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate but cannot stand alone as a sentence. It needs to be attached to a main clause because it does not express a complete thought by itself. Subordinate clauses can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs within the main clause.
Here are some examples to illustrate the concepts:

1. Main Clause: The cat slept on the couch.
- This is a complete sentence with a subject (the cat) and a predicate (slept on the couch). It expresses a complete thought.

2. Subordinate Clause: Because it was raining, the cat slept on the couch.
- In this sentence, "Because it was raining" is a subordinate clause. It has a subject (it) and a predicate (was raining), but it cannot stand alone as a sentence. It is attached to the main clause (the cat slept on the couch) to provide a reason for the action in the main clause.

3. Main Clause: She will call you when she arrives.
- This is another example of a main clause with a subject (she) and a predicate (will call you).

4. Subordinate Clause: When she arrives, she will call you.
- Here, "When she arrives" is a subordinate clause that functions as an adverb, modifying the verb "call" in the main clause. It tells us the time when the action in the main clause will take place.

5. Main Clause: The book that I read was interesting.
- This sentence has a main clause with a subject (the book) and a predicate (was interesting).

6. Subordinate Clause: The book, which I read last week, was interesting.
- In this case, "which I read last week" is a subordinate clause that functions as an adjective, modifying the noun "book" in the main clause. It provides additional information about the book.
7.
Main Clause: He is the man who saved my life.
- This is a main clause with a subject (he) and a predicate (is the man).
8.
Subordinate Clause: The man, who saved my life, is a hero.
- Here, "who saved my life" is a subordinate clause that functions as a noun, providing the identity of "the man" in the main clause.
These examples demonstrate how main clauses and subordinate clauses work together to form complex sentences. While main clauses can stand alone and express complete thoughts, subordinate clauses depend on main clauses to make sense. By combining main and subordinate clauses, we can create more detailed and nuanced sentences that convey more information.
Now, let's move on to the translation of the explanation into Chinese.

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A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb, but it needs to be attached to a main clause because it cannot make sense on its own. For example: This is a complex sentence (also referred to as a multi-clause sentence).read more >>