Independent and Dependent Clauses

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What is an independent clause?

Back

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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I enjoy reading books.

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Example of a dependent clause:

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Although I enjoy reading books.

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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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Identify the independent clause: 'When it rains, I like to stay indoors.'

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I like to stay indoors.

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

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Because I was tired.

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What punctuation is often used before a dependent clause?

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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.

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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 'and', 'but', and 'or'.