What is the Difference Between Coordinate and Subordinate Clause?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between a coordinate clause and a subordinate clause lies in their ability to express a complete thought and their relative importance within a sentence.
- Coordinate clause: This is an independent clause that expresses a complete thought. It is of equal importance with other coordinate clauses in a sentence. Coordinate clauses are often joined by coordinating conjunctions or semicolons.
- Subordinate clause: This is a dependent clause that does not express a complete thought. It is subordinate to another clause in a sentence, meaning it relies on the main clause for its meaning. Subordinate clauses are often introduced by subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns.
In summary:
- Coordinate clauses are independent clauses that express complete thoughts and are of equal importance within a sentence.
- Subordinate clauses are dependent clauses that do not express complete thoughts and rely on other clauses for their meaning.
Comparative Table: Coordinate vs Subordinate Clause
Here is a table comparing coordinate and subordinate clauses:
| Feature | Coordinate Clause | Subordinate Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Independent clause | Dependent clause |
| Sentence | Can stand alone | Cannot stand alone |
| Thought | Expresses a complete thought | Does not express a complete thought |
| Connection | Coordinating conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) | Subordinating conjunctions (e.g., although, because, since, when, which, who, if, whereas) |
| Punctuation | Comma (when two coordinate clauses are joined) | Comma (when a subordinate clause precedes the main clause) |
Coordinate clauses are independent clauses that can stand alone and express a complete thought. They are joined by coordinating conjunctions, such as "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," "yet," and "but". Subordinate clauses, on the other hand, are dependent clauses that cannot stand alone and express a complete thought. They need to be combined with other clauses to form a complete sentence. Subordinate clauses are typically joined to independent clauses by subordinating conjunctions, such as "although," "because," "since," "when," "which," "who," "if," and "whereas".
- Relative Clause vs Subordinate Clause
- Main Clause vs Subordinate Clause
- Conjunction Coordinating Conjunction vs Subordinating Conjunction
- Sentence vs Clause
- a Phrase vs a Clause
- Noun Clause vs Noun Phrase
- Where vs Which in Relative Clauses
- Noun Clause vs Adjective Clause
- Coefficient vs Subscript
- Conditional vs Subjunctive
- Prepositional Phrase vs Adverbial Phrase
- Simple vs Complex Sentence
- Branch vs Subsidiary
- Phrase vs Sentence
- Affiliate vs Subsidiary
- Coordinate Covalent Bond vs Covalent Bond
- Subsidiary vs Division
- Subsidiary vs Associate
- Compound vs Complex Sentences