What term describes a clause that adds information to a sentence but is incomplete and cannot stand alone?

What term describes a clause that adds information to a sentence but is incomplete and cannot stand alone?

• A. Subordinate clause
• B. Independent clause
• C. Relative clause
• D. Participial clause

Answer: (A)

A subordinate clause is a dependent clause that adds information to a sentence but cannot stand alone. It relies on a main clause to complete the thought, so it can’t form a complete sentence by itself. You often see it introduced by words like because, when, if, although, since, or because of, which signals that the idea is supplementary rather than a full statement. For example, in I left early because I forgot my umbrella, the part because I forgot my umbrella cannot stand alone and depends on the main clause I left early to complete the idea. This distinguishes it from an independent clause, which can stand alone; a relative clause, which mainly modifies a noun; and a participial clause, which uses a participle to add descriptive detail.

A subordinate clause is a dependent clause that adds information to a sentence but cannot stand alone. It relies on a main clause to complete the thought, so it can’t form a complete sentence by itself. You often see it introduced by words like because, when, if, although, since, or because of, which signals that the idea is supplementary rather than a full statement. For example, in I left early because I forgot my umbrella, the part because I forgot my umbrella cannot stand alone and depends on the main clause I left early to complete the idea. This distinguishes it from an independent clause, which can stand alone; a relative clause, which mainly modifies a noun; and a participial clause, which uses a participle to add descriptive detail.