Dependent clause
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Towards more picturesque speech™
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Also known as a subordinate clause, a dependent clause is a phrase containing a noun and a verb which doesn’t form a complete sentence by itself, needing the cover of a kindly main clause to give it meaning and orient it in the choppy waters of a modern sentence. It is usually introduced by a conjunction — subordinating conjunction, in fact.
“Last night, I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
How an elephant got into my pajamas, I’ll never know.”
- —Groucho Marx
In the sentence, “How an elephant got into my pajamas, I’ll never know”, “I’ll never know” is the main clause, and “how an elephant got into my pajamas” is the dependent clause.