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Grammar Connection: Complex Sentences and Subordinate Clauses

Adding Specific Detail

E4_9.4.11.hand.jpgThe last way in which subordinate clauses can help improve your writing is quite simple; they allow you to add more detail to sentences. This is especially true with adjective clauses. Read the following sentence:


Mrs. Mallard has heart trouble.


This sentence is very plain and does not present much information. By itself, it really does not help the reader understand who Mrs. Mallard is. When you consider your knowledge of adjective clauses, you can add valuable detail to this sentence. Pretend that the writer suddenly remembers that Mrs. Mallard’s husband just died in a train accident.

Using a clause, you can incorporate this idea:


Mrs. Mallard, whose husband just died in a train accident, has heart trouble.


The independent clause which was the original sentence is underlined, while the adjective clause with the additional information is bolded.