smg10e_handbook4

E8-b Use subordination to indicate that one sentence element is more important than other elements.

Printed Page H-42

After Dave finished his mutinous speech, the corners of Dan’s mouth slowly formed a nearly expressionless grin.
Political liberals, who trace their American roots to the Declaration of Independence, insist that the federal government should attempt to reduce inequalities of income and wealth.

phrase A group of words that does not contain both a subject and a verb and is always part of an independent clause.

dependent clause A word group that has a subject and a predicate but cannot stand by itself as a sentence; it must be connected to an independent clause.

Writers frequently subordinate information within a single sentence. The most important information appears in an independent clause, and the less important or subordinate information appears in words, phrases, or dependent clauses attached to the independent clause or integrated into it.