Identify All Main Clauses In The Following Sentences ✓ Solved

In The Following Sentences Identify All Main Clauses By Unde

In the following sentences, identify all main clauses by underlining them once and all subordinate clauses by circling them or using a parenthesis. Remember that you could have a subordinate clause within a main clause.

1. In April 2005, people in Hamburg, Germany, reported (that toads had begun to explode in a local pond).
2. The toads' intestines were being propelled up to three feet away, but no one knew (why).
3. (Because so many toads had begun to swell and burst apart), the residents started calling the place “The Pond of Death.”
4. Soon toads began to explode in a nearby lake (across the border in Denmark).
5. Scientists who investigated the phenomenon wondered (if the pond water contained a virus or fungus that was infecting the toads); however, tests revealed (no evidence of disease in the toads or water).
6. Finally, a German scientist discovered (the cause).
7. Hungry crows had developed a taste for toad livers.
8. They would attack a toad (between its chest and abdominal cavity) (in order to peck out the liver); in addition, they were teaching other crows (the trick).
9. (When the toads would inflate their bodies in defense), the hole and missing liver led to a rupture of their blood vessels and lungs.
10. According to one veterinarian, such behavior is not unusual, (although its occurrence in a populated area is not common).

Paper For Above Instructions

The task of identifying main clauses and subordinate clauses is fundamental in understanding the structure of sentences in English grammar. Main clauses can stand alone as complete sentences because they express a complete thought, whereas subordinate clauses, also known as dependent clauses, cannot stand alone and rely on a main clause for their meaning. Below, I will provide a detailed explanation of these elements in the context of the given sentences.

Understanding Main and Subordinate Clauses

Main clauses, also known as independent clauses, consist of a subject and a verb and can convey a complete idea. In the provided sentences, we see several examples of main clauses including “people in Hamburg, Germany, reported” and “no one knew.” These clauses stand on their own and provide significant information.

On the other hand, subordinate clauses act as additional information to the main clause but do not express a complete thought by themselves. For instance, in the sentence “that toads had begun to explode in a local pond,” the clause “that toads had begun to explode” depends on the main clause and cannot function independently. Other examples include “Although its occurrence in a populated area is not common,” where the subordinate clause adds context to the main clause preceding it.

Sentence Analysis

Let’s analyze the provided sentences in detail:

1. Sentence 1: In April 2005, people in Hamburg, Germany, reported (that toads had begun to explode in a local pond).

• Main Clause: "people in Hamburg, Germany, reported"
• Subordinate Clause: "that toads had begun to explode in a local pond."

• Main Clauses: "The toads' intestines were being propelled up to three feet away," "no one knew."
• Subordinate Clause: "why."

• Main Clause: "the residents started calling the place “The Pond of Death.”"
• Subordinate Clause: "Because so many toads had begun to swell and burst apart."

• Main Clause: "Soon toads began to explode in a nearby lake."
• Subordinate Clause: "across the border in Denmark."

• Main Clause: "Scientists who investigated the phenomenon wondered," "tests revealed."
• Subordinate Clauses: "if the pond water contained a virus or fungus that was infecting the toads," "no evidence of disease in the toads or water."

• Main Clause: "Finally, a German scientist discovered."
• Subordinate Clause: "the cause."

• Main Clause: "Hungry crows had developed a taste for toad livers."

• Main Clause: "They would attack a toad," "they were teaching other crows."
• Subordinate Clauses: "between its chest and abdominal cavity," "in order to peck out the liver," "the trick."

• Main Clause: "the hole and missing liver led to a rupture of their blood vessels and lungs."
• Subordinate Clause: "When the toads would inflate their bodies in defense."

• Main Clause: "such behavior is not unusual."
• Subordinate Clause: "although its occurrence in a populated area is not common."

Conclusion

Understanding the distinction between main clauses and subordinate clauses is essential for grasping the construction of sentences in English. Main clauses provide the skeleton of a sentence’s meaning, while subordinate clauses offer additional details that enrich the narrative. This exercise highlights the complexity of language structure and encourages deeper analysis of written texts.

References

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