Question

What is the subordinate clause in this sentence?

The guinea hens that my neighbor raises are better than watchdogs.

Answer 1

That my neighbor raises.

This is the answer, because the sentence still makes sense when it is extracted.

Answer 2

The subordinate clause is "that my neighbor raises".

Step-by-step explanation:

A subordinate clause, even though containing a subject and a verb, does not express a complete thought on its own. It dependes on the main clause to make sense.

In the case we are studying here, the subordinate clause "that my neighbor raises" only makes sense when attached to "The guinea hens ... are better than watchdogs." In addition, we can say that "that my neighbor raises" is a restrictive subordinate clause. It does not come between commas and it works as an adjective, modifying a noun. In this structure, the plural noun "hens" is being modified by "that my neighbor raises".