Independent and Dependent Clauses

Front

What is an Independent Clause?

Back

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

Front

What is a Dependent Clause?

Back

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

Front

Example of an Independent Clause: 'I felt extremely proud of all of your hard work.'

Back

This is an independent clause because it expresses a complete thought and can stand alone.

Front

Example of a Dependent Clause: 'Because Nickie is a huge 49ers fan.'

Back

This is a dependent clause because it does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone.

Front

What is the main difference between Independent and Dependent Clauses?

Back

The main difference is that independent clauses can stand alone as sentences, while dependent clauses cannot.

Front

Identify the clause: 'When you buy me flowers.'

Back

This is a dependent clause because it does not express a complete thought.

Front

Identify the clause: 'Andrea was always in a lot of trouble with her teachers.'

Back

This is an independent clause because it expresses a complete thought.

Front

What does it mean for a clause to express a complete thought?

Back

It means that the clause can stand alone as a sentence and makes sense by itself.

Front

Can a sentence have both independent and dependent clauses?

Back

Yes, a sentence can have both types of clauses. For example: 'When it rains, I like to stay inside.' 'When it rains' is a dependent clause, and 'I like to stay inside' is an independent clause.

Front

What punctuation is often used to separate independent clauses?

Back

A comma is often used before a coordinating conjunction (like 'and', 'but', 'or') to separate independent clauses.