Identify the main clause in the sentence below. Then decide if the subordinate clause is used as noun, adjective, or adverb.
Chris's chief interest was tennis, which he was just learning to play.
Main Clause: which he was learning to play.
Subordinate Clause Type: adjective?
A main clause can stand alone as a sentence. You've identified the subordinate clause -- which is an adjective.
To identify the main clause in the sentence, you need to look for the independent clause, which is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
In the given sentence, "Chris's chief interest was tennis" is the main clause. It contains the subject "Chris's chief interest" and the predicate "was tennis," and it can stand alone as a complete sentence.
The subordinate clause in the sentence is "which he was just learning to play." To determine the type of this subordinate clause, you need to consider its function in the sentence.
The subordinate clause in this case is functioning as an adjective clause. It provides additional information about the noun "tennis." It identifies and describes the specific kind of tennis that Chris was just learning to play. Adjective clauses often begin with relative pronouns like "which," "that," or "who."
So, in summary:
Main Clause: Chris's chief interest was tennis.
Subordinate Clause Type: Adjective (which he was just learning to play)