Independent and Dependent Clauses

Independent and Dependent Clauses

by Mr. ATKINS

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​An independent clause has a subject and a predicate and can stand on its own as a sentence.

​Wait, what's a predicate???

​A predicate is the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb and stating something about the subject

Multiple Choice

What is the predicate in this sentence?

My neighbor's dog | barked all night.

• My neighbor's dog

• barked all night. 

• barked

• dog

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​My neighbor's dog | barked all night.

​subject

​predicate

​A dependent clause,

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​also known as a subordinate clause, is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate but does not express a complete thought and cannot stand on its own as a sentence. That's why it is dependent on being combined with an independent clause.

Multiple Choice

Is this a complete sentence? 

When my neighbor's dog barked all night. 

• Yes

• No

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​When my neighbor's dog barked all night...

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​Is a dependent clause because it does not complete the thought. It contains the same words as the complete sentence My neighbor's dog barked all night. However, because we added 'When', we need to complete the thought.

For example, When my neighbor's dog barked all night, I didn't get much sleep.

Multiple Choice

Is this a dependent or independent clause? 

down New Jersey Avenue

• dependent

• independent

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1. down New Jersey Avenue

   is a dependent clause because it does not have a subject or verb.

Multiple Choice

Is this a dependent or independent clause?

she takes my hand

• dependent

• independent

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she takes my hand

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is an independent clause because it has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

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Multiple Choice

Is this a dependent or independent clause?

to begin my very first day of school

• dependent

• independent

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to begin my very first day of school

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​is a dependent clause because it does not have a subject or verb.

Multiple Choice

Is this a dependent or independent clause? 

long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother

• dependent

• independent

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long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother

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is a dependent clause because it doesn't complete the thought.

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Although this contains an independent clause, the phrase long before indicates that there is information missing from this sentence.

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Multiple Choice

Is this a dependent or independent clause?

and we set off

• Dependent

• Independent

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and we set off

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is an independent clause.

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Even though it begins with a conjunction, the clause has a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

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Multiple Choice

Is this a dependent or independent clause? 

on an otherwise unremarkable September morning

• dependent

• independent

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on an otherwise unremarkable September morning

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is a dependent clause because it does not have a subject or a verb.

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Multiple Choice

Which question does this clause answer?: Who does what? When? Where? Why?

down New Jersey Avenue

• who does what

• when

• where

• why

Multiple Choice

Which question does this clause answer?: Who does what? When? Where? Why?

she takes my hand

• who does what

• when

• where

• why

Multiple Choice

Which question does this clause answer?: Who does what? When? Where? Why?

to begin my very first day of school

• Who does what

• when

• where

• why

Multiple Choice

Which question does this clause answer?: Who does what? When? Where? Why?

long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother

• who does what

• when

• where

• why

Multiple Choice

Which question does this clause answer?: Who does what? When? Where? Why?

and we set off

• who does what

• when

• where

• why

Multiple Choice

Which question does this clause answer?: Who does what? When? Where? Why?

on an otherwise unremarkable September morning

• who does what

• when

• where

• why

​Notice how all those clauses come together for this sentence from "The First Day".

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On an otherwise unremarkable September morning, long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother, she takes my hand and we set off down New Jersey Avenue to begin my very first day of school.

Open Ended

Now write an original complex sentence following the same pattern. The sentence can be based on an event in your own life or an event that happened to someone else.

(follow this pattern: When / Who Does What / Where / Why.)