Будова сказаB1

Types of subordinate clause

Q: When is Types of subordinate clause used?

It means when , if and, with бы , if only . The verb form tells them apart:

Q: How is Types of subordinate clause formed?

Concession, and shorter than the Russian equivalent: Хоць было позна, мы пайшлі. It also works as "at least": Пабач хоць раз. A subordinate clause can stand before or after the main one, and the comma is written either way. Belarusian does not invert anything - the clause keeps ordinary word order throughout.

Q: What are common mistakes with Types of subordinate clause?

Typical errors: using a present or future after каб with different subjects, and putting бы in only one half of a калі б sentence.

Which conjunction introduces which kind of clause, and the two - каб and калі б - whose choice of verb form is not free.

Learning Goal

I can build all eight kinds of subordinate clause and choose the right verb form after каб and калі б.

Exam Skills:BSU: ГаварэннеBSU: Пісьмо

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Я ведаю, што ён прыйдзе а сёмай.

I know he will come at seven.

Хоць было позна, мы ўсё роўна пайшлі.

Although it was late, we went anyway.

Пачакай, пакуль я не вярнуся.

Wait until I come back.

Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў у суботу.

I want you to come on Saturday.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

The clause types

Type	Introduced by	Example
Object	што, ці	Я ведаю, што ён прыйдзе.
Relative	які, чый, дзе	Кніга, якую я чытаю.
Time	калі, пакуль, як толькі	Калі будзе час, паедзем.
Cause	бо, таму што	Не іду, бо хворы.
Purpose	каб	Прыйшоў, каб дапамагчы.
Condition	калі, калі б	Калі б было цяплей...
Concession	хоць, нягледзячы на тое што	Хоць было позна, мы пайшлі.
Result	так што	Было позна, так што мы засталіся.

The two that constrain the verb

Most conjunctions leave the verb alone. Two do not:

Каб with different subjects takes a past-tense form, whatever the time meant: Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў. With one subject it takes the infinitive: Прыйшоў, каб дапамагчы.
Калі б puts both halves into the бы construction: Калі б я меў час, я прыйшоў бы.

Калі does three jobs

It means when, if and, with бы, if only. The verb form tells them apart:

Калі ён прыйшоў, мы вячэралі. - past tense, so when.
Калі ён прыйдзе, павячэраем. - future, so if or when.
Калі б ён прыйшоў, мы павячэралі б. - бы, so hypothetical.

Хоць

Concession, and shorter than the Russian equivalent: Хоць было позна, мы пайшлі. It also works as "at least": Пабач хоць раз.

Word order and the comma

A subordinate clause can stand before or after the main one, and the comma is written either way. Belarusian does not invert anything - the clause keeps ordinary word order throughout.

Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Typical errors: using a present or future after каб with different subjects, and putting бы in only one half of a калі б sentence.

Я ведаю, што ён прыйдзе а сёмай.

I know he will come at seven.

An object clause with што, and the tense is kept as spoken.

Хоць было позна, мы ўсё роўна пайшлі.

Although it was late, we went anyway.

Concession with хоць, shorter than the Russian conjunction.

Пачакай, пакуль я не вярнуся.

Wait until I come back.

Пакуль for time, and the negative here is idiomatic rather than logical.

Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў у суботу.

I want you to come on Saturday.

Different subjects, so каб takes the past form even about the future.

Было позна, так што мы засталіся начаваць.

It was late, so we stayed the night.

A result clause with так што.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises

B1 Course

Types of subordinate clause

The clause types

The two that constrain the verb

Калі does three jobs

Хоць

Word order and the comma

Common Error Patterns

Frequently asked questions

Sources