Clauses · CEFR B2 · Confident
Which clause comes first — English clauses
A subordinate clause can go either side of the main one. In front it takes a comma; behind it usually does not.
The shape
subordinate, main · main + subordinate
Punctuate a two-clause sentence correctly.
In Hindi
गौण उपवाक्य किसी भी तरफ़ आ सकता है। आगे आए तो अल्पविराम, पीछे आए तो आम तौर पर नहीं।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
He missed the train, because he was late. | He missed the train because he was late. When "because" comes second, English normally drops the comma. |
Learn these first
These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.
Questions people ask
- What is the which clause comes first used for?
- A subordinate clause can go either side of the main one. In front it takes a comma; behind it usually does not. In practice: punctuate a two-clause sentence correctly.
- How do you form the which clause comes first?
- subordinate, main · main + subordinate.
- What is the most common mistake with the which clause comes first?
- Saying “He missed the train, because he was late.” instead of “He missed the train because he was late.”. When "because" comes second, English normally drops the comma.
Where which clause comes first fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Which clause comes first is a CEFR B2 structure — the confident band — and it belongs to clauses. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
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