A subordinate clause (also referred to as a dependent clause) can be defined as a group of words that have both a subject and verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence. A subordinate clause functions a a single part of speech, such as a noun, adjective, or adverb. It contains part of the sentence but not all information to form a complete sentence. You can find more information here:
. http://isu.indstate.edu/writing/handouts/setiii/prints/SETIII2P.html