Comma Placement and Clause Types

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

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

A sentence will always have an independent clause.

A sentence will sometimes have a dependent clause.

This is a dependent clause because it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

This is an independent clause because it can stand alone as a complete sentence.

The comma is used to separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction.

'Even though it was raining, we went for a walk.' Here, 'Even though it was raining' is the dependent clause, and 'we went for a walk' is the independent clause.

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

This is NOT a dependent clause because it can stand alone as a complete sentence.