ref –

• https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/subordinating_conjunctions.htm
• https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/subordinate_clause.htm

Subordinate clauses are created when a clause uses a subordinate conjunction.

The main role of a subordinating conjunction and the subordinate clause is to establish a time, a place, a reason, or a condition for the main clause.

Example of subordinate conjunction used a condition

• You (subj) fail(verb).
• You (subj) may be (verb) disappointed (adj).

add subordinate conjunction if:

If you fail (this is a subordinate clause)

We then use this with a main clause to create a sentence:

If you fail, you may be disappointed.

Example of subordinate conjunction used a condition

• You (subj) don’t try (verb).
• You (subj) are (linking verb) doomed (adj).

Add subordinate conjunction if:

If you don’t try (becomes subordinate clause)

use it with a clause:

If you don’t try, you are doomed.

Example of subordinate conjunction used a reason

• She left early.
• Tony arrived with his new girlfriend

Add subordinate conjunction because to clause:

because Tony arrived with his new girlfriend

sub clause:

She left early because Tony arrived with his new girlfriend.

subordinate clause used as adverb to explain a verb in the main clause

Say we have a sentence:

Mao became the leader of China

And another sentence that explains the above:

He (subj) consolidated (verb) power (obj) in 1902 (obj compl).

We need to add a subordinate clause to explain “how” of the verb became

If we add the subordinate conjunction after it becomes:

After he consolidated power in 1902

A subordinate clause needs a main clause.

After he consolidated power in 1941, Mao [became] the leader of China.

This type of subordinate clause is known as adverbial, because it explains the [how/why] for verb in the main clause.

Subordinate clause used as adjective clause

clause: He is known as Ricky Cao.

Let’s use subordinate conjunction who to reference the subject before our clause,

subj + clause = RickyABC, who is known as Ricky Cao

Then, add the main clause:

RickyABC, who is known as Ricky Cao, [wants to solve the english problem in China].

Subordinate clause as nouns (for subj and obj)

Nouns can be subject or obj…so as long as the subordinate clause in in those places, we are ok.

As the subject:

I (subj) play (verb) baseball (obj).

Let’s start with a clause:
I am fat.

We use subordinate conjunction Whoever, and apply it to our clause ‘I am fat’:

Whoever is fat

Add to subject as noun:

[Whoever is fat] plays baseball.

As the object:

I (subj) can do (verb) this (obj). (clause)

We’re going to replace (this, obj) with a sub clause.

First a clause:

I like.

Now we’ll put the subordinate conjunction whatever to the sub clause:

Whatever I like

Now the full sentence:

I can do [whatever I like].