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Subordinate clause: Function |
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Subordinate clauses are clauses that are dependent on a main clause (or on another subordinate clause). Most subordinate clauses function as the subject, an object, an adverbial or an attribute of the main clause. Sentential relative clauses are the only clauses that do not function as constituents of the main clause.
PlaceholdersA subordinate clause can be represented by a particular word within the superordinate (main) clause. Such a word is called a placeholder for a subordinate clause. In the following examples, es and dann are placeholders:
Es freut uns sehr, dass ihr hier seid.
Ich weiß es nicht, ob du Recht hast.
Wir fahren dann weg, wenn es hell wird.
Placeholders can be obligatory, optional or impossible. More information on the placeholders is given in the descriptions of the individual functions of subordinate clauses (subject clause, object clause, etc.)
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Subordinate clause: Function
