Dependent and Independent Clauses

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What is a dependent clause?

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A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.

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What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence.

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Example of a dependent clause:

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While Bailey slept on the sofa in front of the TV.

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Example of an independent clause:

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Christa woke up at 4:00 am in order to catch a flight to Florida.

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What punctuation often separates independent clauses?

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A comma is often used before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to separate independent clauses.

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What is a subordinating conjunction?

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A subordinating conjunction is a word that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause (e.g., because, although, since, while).

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Identify the dependent clause: 'After getting soaking wet on the log flume, Charles was kicking himself.'

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After getting soaking wet on the log flume.

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Identify the independent clause: 'Students who want to enroll in the program must pass an admissions test first.'

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Students who want to enroll in the program must pass an admissions test first.

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What is the role of a dependent clause in a sentence?

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A dependent clause adds additional information to the independent clause but cannot stand alone.

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What is the role of an independent clause in a sentence?

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An independent clause serves as the main part of a sentence and can stand alone.