Improve_Your_Punctuation.PDF

◆ To separate a subordinate clause in the middle of a main
clause.
The dog, who was barking loudly, strained at his leash.

◆ After a participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence.

Looking out of the window, she realised it was raining.

◆ To separate phrases in the middle of a main clause.

The girl, tall and elegant, stepped into her car.

There will be more about commas in the chapter on
dialogue.

Forming complex sentences

A complex sentence can contain any number of main clauses
and subordinate clauses. Itmustcontain at leastonemain
clause and it must be carefully constructed so that all the
clauses are linked correctly.

Using subordinate clauses

There are a variety of subordinate clauses you can use to
make your writing more interesting. Vary them and their
positions so that your work ‘flows’. Following are some
examples:

She hobbled to the door which was shut.

Main clause: She hobbled to the door...

Adjectival clause modifying

the noun ‘door’:... was shut.

Relative pronoun as link: which

VARYING YOUR SENTENCES / 57