Reteach: Independent Clauses, Dependent Clauses, Fragments

​Let's review the similarities and differences between independent and dependent clauses...

Watch the short video on the next slide.​

Because Jerry received a ticket.​

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​After Braden broke his leg playing football in the eighth grade.

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When Ian drew his mother a portrait of her childhood home.​

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​Dependent Clause

Jerry received a ticket.​

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​Braden broke his leg playing football in the eighth grade.

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Ian drew his mother a portrait of her childhood home.​

​Independent Clause

​BOTH the independent and the dependent clauses have subjects and have verbs. In fact, the DEPENDENT CLAUSE could have been independent if it didn't start with a subordinating conjunction. That's it. That's really the only major difference between the two.

Once you add the subordinating conjunction, it becomes dependent on more information to make sense. The subordinating conjunction acts like "tape" to connect the dependent clause to another thought.​

​The elm trees were green and higher than the houses.

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​Prepositional phrase

​FIRST break down the sentence.

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​Subject

​Verb

​THEN ask yourself the questions:

Does it have a subject?

Does it have a verb?

Does it make sense because it is a complete thought?​

​If the answers to all these are YES, then it is either an independent or a dependent clause. Ask one more question to find out which one: Does it start with a subordinating conjunction?

​

If YES, it DOES start with a subordinating conjunction, then it is a dependent clause.​

If NO, it is an independent clause.​

Multiple Choice

The elm trees were green and higher than the houses.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

​Of course it was an independent clause. Let's practice! Read the following group of words and decide if it is an independent clause or a dependent clause. Use your strategy!

Multiple Choice

The gym is the biggest room in the school.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

Although Pedro is shorter than Carlos.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

Unless Tony's dog wins the prize.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

After the band leaves the stage.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

The auditorium quickly grew too noisy for me.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

Because he has a biology test on Tuesday.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

Luis will be practicing his solo for the national anthem in the studio.

• Independent Clause

• Dependent Clause

​Got it? Pretty much, a dependent clause is a "sentence" that starts with a subordinating clause. Be careful, though. Don't confuse a preposition that introduces a prepositional phrase with a subordinating conjunction that introduces a dependent clause. What's the difference?

​Let's take the word "until." "Until" can function both as a preposition and a subordinating conjunction. What matters is what comes after it...

​Until the morning

​Until the morning comes

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​

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​Acting like a preposition because ...

​...this is only a noun and not a noun+verb that makes a complete thought

​Functioning as a subordinating conjunction that will join another complete thought because...

​...this is ...and this is a noun/subject a verb

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and together they make a complete thought!​

Multiple Choice

After the rain

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent Clause

​After the rain = prepositional phrase

​

​Noun...no verb involved

​Now, if we said: After the rain had ended

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​Noun/subject

​verb

​This would be a dependent clause because there is a subject and a verb.

Multiple Choice

As much as he wanted to go.

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

Before the game.

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

Before the game started.

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

When the concert starts.

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent Clause

Multiple Choice

Because of his temper.

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent Clause

​Did you already think, "Prepositional phrases are fragments?"

Technically, they would be because they are missing a verb. If they had the verb, then they would be dependent clauses.

​

Any string of words that does not have both a subject and a verb that work together to make a complete thought is a fragment or a phrase. Phrases, though, such as prepositional phrases and verb phrases, usually are performing a function within the sentence.​ Fragments may almost be a complete sentence if only they had the part they were missing. Sometimes, though, it can just be a "junk" string of words.

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Pay attention to the VERBS!!! Most of the time, the VERBS are the key to the sentence.​

​As the team = prepositional phrase

As the team was celebrating = dependent clause As the team celebrating = fragment (missing part of a verb phrase that would make it a complete thought)

​

​Let's practice...

Multiple Choice

According to his report

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

Where he felt comfortable

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

As he catching his breath

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

In order that she will pass all her classes

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

On his way home

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

Till Jerry and Voncile coming home with their newest child

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

Besides her father and mother inviting her cousins

• Prepositional phrase

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

​That was a tough one!

Besides her father and mother inviting her cousins

​It starts out looking like a prepositional phrase but then it has a verb form...so it might be a dependent clause...but the verb form is incomplete. You cannot have just an -ing form of the verb acting as a complete verb phrase. -Ing verb forms must have a helping verb; otherwise, it isn't a verb. It's a something else that we will learn about soon.

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Ready to finish up? Let's review ALL THE THINGS...​

Match

Match the following

• Belinda sang the choir for all four years during high school.

• That they discovered it in the trash.

• Henry examining the specimen under the microscope.

• Around the school before the bell.

Independent clause

Dependent clause

Fragment

Prepositional phrase

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

• Fragment

• Prepositional phrase

Multiple Choice

After the game, the Harkness family took the team to Dairy Queen.

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

• Prepositional phrase

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

Now that he found his backpack at the back of the bus.

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

• Prepositional phrase

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

Watching the Jim Gaffigan special on Netflix.

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

• Prepositional phrase

• Fragment

Multiple Choice

Underneath his seat in the art room.

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

• Prepositional phrase

• Fragment

​How'd you do? If you still feel "iffy" about your understanding, please come to tutorials for a one-on-one session BEFORE you retest.