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?

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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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What is a relative clause?

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A relative clause is a type of dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun (like who, which, or that) and provides more information about a noun.

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Example of an independent clause.

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I enjoy reading books.

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Example of a dependent clause.

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Although I was tired.

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Example of a relative clause.

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The book that I borrowed is interesting.

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How can you identify an independent clause in a sentence?

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An independent clause can be identified by checking if it has a subject and a verb and if it expresses a complete thought.

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How can you identify a dependent clause in a sentence?

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A dependent clause often starts with a subordinating conjunction (like because, although, or when) and cannot stand alone.

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What is the function 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 punctuation is often used with independent clauses?

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Independent clauses can be joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or separated by a semicolon.