Question

Identify the principal clause in the following sentence:
Zayan, who is a postman, is my childhood friend.

• A. Zayan is my childhood friend
• B. who is a postman
• C. a postman is my childhood friend
• D. Zayan who is a postman

Answer 1

The correct option is A Zayan is my childhood friend

A clause is a part of a larger sentence containing a subject and a predicate of its own.
A Principal Clause is an independent clause which can exist even without a subordinate clause. A Subordinate Clause is called a dependent clause because it cannot exist without the help of the principal clause. It begins with a subordinating conjunction.
In the above sentence, Option A is correct because 'Zayan is my childhood friend' is the principal clause. It can exist independently even without the presence of the remaining part of the sentence. It contains a finite verb.
Option B is incorrect as 'who is a postman' is the subordinate clause. It begins with the subordinating conjunction 'who' and is dependent upon the principal clause for its existence.
Option C is incorrect because parts of both the principal and subordinate clauses have been punched.
Option D is incorrect because its incomplete in structure.