Definition of Subordinate Sentences

Sentences that have two or more verbs are known as compound sentences. Within this type of sentence we can make the following distinction: coordinated, juxtaposed and subordinate sentences.

These sentences are those whose parts depend on each other. In other words, the subordinate part depends on the main sentence

In the sentence "Would you like us to go to the Beach", it is a compound sentence because it has two verbs (I would like and we were) and both are joined by a particle (what) and there is a proposition main (would you like) and another subordinate proposition (that we go to the beach). In this case, the subordinate proposition totally depends on the main one, since its syntactic function has no independent meaning.

It should be noted that in coordinated or juxtaposed compound sentences there is a independence between the propositions of the sentence.

Subordinate clause classes

The propositions of subordinate clauses fulfill a syntactic function with

respect to the main proposition. In this sense, depending on the syntactic function they perform, there are three types of subordinate sentences: nouns, adjectives or relative and the adverbial ones.

Subordinate substantive clauses are those in which the subordinate part plays a role equivalent to a noun, a pronoun or a noun phrase.

In the sentence "He told me that he would arrive soon", the subordinate proposition (that he would arrive soon) acts as complement direct.

Subordinate adjective or relative clauses are those that perform the proper function of an adjective, that is, they complement the noun.

In the sentence "The party we saw yesterday disappointed me," the subordinate proposition (which we saw yesterday) acts as an adjective that complements the substantive part of the sentence (the party).

Adverbial subordinate clauses are those whose subordinate clauses can be replaced by a adverb. If I say "I go to the beach when I have no class", the adverb when it acts as a connecting link and the proposition "when I have no class" acts as a subordinate proposition of time. In this case, the subordinate part could be replaced by an adverb or an adverbial phrase (for example "I'm going to the beach some times").

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