Independent and Dependent Clauses

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What is an independent clause?

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

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What is a dependent clause?

Back

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

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Example of an independent clause:

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"She enjoys reading books." This can stand alone as a complete sentence.

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Example of a dependent clause:

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"Although she enjoys reading books." This cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

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What is a conjunction?

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A conjunction is a word that connects clauses or sentences. Examples include 'and', 'but', 'or', 'because'.

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Identify the independent clause: "When it rains, I like to stay inside."

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"I like to stay inside." This is the independent clause.

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Identify the dependent clause: "If I finish my homework, I can play outside."

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"If I finish my homework" is the dependent clause.

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What is the purpose of a dependent clause?

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A dependent clause provides additional information but cannot stand alone as a complete thought.

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What punctuation is often used with dependent clauses?

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A comma is often used before a dependent clause when it starts a sentence.

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Can a sentence have more than one independent clause?

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Yes, a sentence can have multiple independent clauses joined by conjunctions.