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Subordinate Conjuction, Subordinate clause and Relative Clau

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Subordinate Conjuction, Subordinate clause and Relative Clau

by snandiGmat » Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:11 am
Can any one clarify this doubt:
A relative clause is a subordinate clause, a subordinate clause starts with a subordinate conjunction.
"The PC which keeps breaking down is under guarantee until March"
which is not a subordinate conjunction, its a relative pronoun now then how
the clause "which keeps breaking down is under guarantee until March" is a relative modifier for PC?
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by David@VeritasPrep » Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:24 pm
First, the entire portion that you quoted that is not all modifier.

The relative clause is just "which keeps breaking down." The other portion is the predicate of the sentence. So the core of the sentence is "The PC is under guarantee until March. The modifier is "which keeps breaking down" the modifier begins with a relative pronoun and modifies the closest prior noun - "PC."

Relative pronouns do subordinate the relative clause to the main clause. The example that you mention above is an adjective clause because it modifies a noun. It is the PC that is modified.

A subordinate clause in the way that you are thinking of it is basically a sentence that is made dependent by use of a subordinate conjunction and in this way two sentences can be joined together. "He is your friend" is a sentence. But it can be subordinated so that you can say, "You should be nicer to him, because he is your friend.

So there are several ways to create a subordinate, or dependent, clause. And a relative pronoun is one such way.

Does that help?
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