Sub-clause /main clause

Sub-clause /main clause
Message from dangkhoa posted on 03-08-2012 at 06:14:41 (D | E | F)
Hello,

In French, to express the immediate time, we use 'à peine... que' and the clause following the conjunction is named sub-clause as in
'A peine le soleil se lève-t-il que les oiseaux chantent partout'.
'à peine le soleil se lève' is the sub-clause of time.
'que les oiseaux chantent partout' though begun with a subordinate conjunction 'que', is the main clause.
In English, the conjunction 'hardly/scarcely...when' or 'no sooner...than' is translated 'à peine...que' into French.
I don't know whether the clause with 'when' or 'than' is the sub-clause or the main clause.
Thank you for your help.

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Edited by lucile83 on 03-08-2012 07:29

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Re: Sub-clause /main clause from notrepere, posted on 03-08-2012 at 17:02:35 (D | E)
Hello

Main/Sub clause doesn't really apply here since neither clause is independent. It's more important to know which action occurred first. The first clause (no sooner...) states the action that happened first and (than...) the other clause states the action that happened second.

No sooner had he bought an umbrella than it began to rain.

1. He bought an umbrella
2. It began to rain

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Re: Sub-clause /main clause from dangkhoa, posted on 04-08-2012 at 06:52:32 (D | E)
Hello,

Thank you for your explanation for the use of main/sub clause.
But I think it's important to make a distinction between main and sub-clause, because we can only change the sub-clause into an adverb phrase as in 'No sooner had he come back than he left' into 'Shortly in having come back, he left.'
It does seem much good for everyone to know how to write correctly.
I ought to express my thanks to what you have done.

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