a clause that is not pragmatically asserted, in contrast to a main clause. Example: in She watered the plants before she ate lunch, the clause before she ate lunch is a subordinate clause. A subordinate clause is typically also a dependent clause, but a matrix clause may be a subordinate clause (for example, if it is dependent on a third clause), and a dependent clause may be pragmatically asserted, i.e. function as a main clause. (Section 15.1.2)