Dependent and Independent Clauses

Front

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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What is a dependent (subordinate) clause?

Back

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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Identify the independent clause in the sentence: 'Although it was raining, we went for a walk.'

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The independent clause is 'we went for a walk.'

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Identify the dependent clause in the sentence: 'Because I was tired, I went to bed early.'

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The dependent clause is 'Because I was tired.'

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

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

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Provide an example of an independent clause.

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Example: 'She enjoys reading books.'

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Provide an example of a dependent clause.

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Example: 'Whenever I finish my homework.'

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What punctuation is often used to separate 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 coordinating conjunction?

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A coordinating conjunction is a word that connects two independent clauses. Examples include 'for,' 'and,' 'nor,' 'but,' 'or,' 'yet,' and 'so.'

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What is a complex sentence?

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A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.