This document provides instruction on how to punctuate sentences containing subordinate clauses. It explains that a comma should be used after subordinate clauses that come before the main clause. Nonessential adjective clauses should also be set off by commas. Examples are provided to demonstrate these punctuation rules. The document also includes practice problems for the learner to identify and correct punctuation errors involving subordinate clauses.

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HMH Into Literature.
Grammar Quick Fix.
How to Punctuate Subordinate
Clauses

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• Though I always loved making paintings and sculptures , I hadn’t thought
about becoming an artist.
• After an art teacher told me that I'm talented , my plans for the future
changed.
• Although I still had a long struggle ahead of me , I became devoted to art.
Learn.
How to Punctuate Subordinate Clauses.
Use a comma after a subordinate clause (or dependent clause) that appears
before the main clause of a sentence.
• Though I always loved making paintings and sculptures comma, I hadn’t thought about becoming an artist.
• After an art teacher told me that I'm talented comma, my plans for the future changed.
• Although I still had a long struggle ahead of me comma, I became devoted to art.
Tip.
A subordinate clause does
not express a complete
sentence and cannot stand
alone. Words such as
although, because, since,
and while introduce
subordinate clauses.
Image: Paint brushes, paint tubes, and
spatulas.

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• The artist Faith Ringgold , who grew up in New York City , is famous for
her quilt paintings.
• Pablo Picasso painted Guernica , which reflects his outrage over the
bombing of a Spanish city.
Learn.
How to Punctuate Subordinate Clauses.
Use commas to set off nonessential adjective clauses, which add information
that is not necessary to the meaning of a sentence.
• The artist Faith Ringgold comma, who grew up in New York City comma, is famous for her quilt paintings.
• Pablo Picasso painted Guernica comma, which reflects his outrage over the bombing of a Spanish city.
Do not use commas to set off essential adjective clauses, which are necessary
to the meaning of a sentence.
• Diego Rivera is the artist who inspired me to paint murals.
• The movement that he helped create was called Mexican Muralism.
Tip:
An adjective clause is a
subordinate clause that
modifies a noun or pronoun.
Note that adjective clauses
beginning with that are
usually essential.
Image: Mexican artist Diego Rivera paints a
mural.

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Although paintings are usually made with brushes artists can use other
tools to paint. Some artists apply thick oil paint with spatulas which are
small metal tools. Jackson Pollack revolutionized painting when he began
to splash paint directly from cans onto the canvas. The style of painting,
that he developed, is called “action painting.”
Practice.
How to Punctuate Subordinate Clauses.
Correct the punctuation errors in this passage.
Although paintings are usually made with brushes artists can use other tools to paint. Some artists apply thick oil paint with spatulas which are small metal
tools. Jackson Pollack revolutionized painting when he began to splash paint directly from cans onto the canvas. The style of painting comma, that he
developed comma, is called “action painting.”
Image: An abstract painting created with
drips and splashes of paint.

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Although paintings are usually made with brushes , artists can use other
tools to paint. Some artists apply thick oil paint with spatulas , which are
small metal tools. Jackson Pollack revolutionized painting when he began
to splash paint directly from cans onto the canvas. The style of painting
that he developed is called “action painting.”
Correct.
How to Punctuate Subordinate Clauses.
Although paintings are usually made with
brushes comma, artists can use other tools
to paint. Some artists apply thick oil paint
with spatulas comma, which are small metal
tools. Jackson Pollack revolutionized
painting when he began to splash paint
directly from cans onto the canvas. The
style of painting that he developed is called
“action painting.”
What Changed?
A comma was added after the subordinate clause in the first two sentences.
In the fourth sentence, commas before and after the subordinate clause
were removed because the clause is essential.
Image: An abstract painting created with
drips and splashes of paint.

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Write.
How to Punctuate Subordinate Clauses.
Describe how you like to express your creativity. Write at least three sentences
with subordinate clauses.
Click to start writing.
Image: A girl frames a portion of her face
with paint-covered hands.

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IMAGE CREDITS
Slide 1: ©Happy Art/Shutterstock
Slide 2: ©Happy Art/Shutterstock; paintbrushes ©Krauchanka Henadz/Shutterstock
Slide 3: ©Happy Art/Shutterstock; Diego Rivera ©CSU Archives/Everett Collection Historical/Alamy
Slide 4: ©Happy Art/Shutterstock; painting ©vector owl/Shutterstock
Slide 5: ©Happy Art/Shutterstock; painting ©vector owl/Shutterstock
Slide 6: ©Happy Art/Shutterstock; child with paint ©Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova/Shutterstock