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 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 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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"He was able to catch the bus." This is an independent clause because it expresses a complete thought.

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Example of a Dependent Clause.

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"Because he ran," is a dependent clause because it does not express a complete thought.

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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, we stay inside."

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"We stay inside" is the independent clause.

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Identify the Dependent Clause: "Although she was tired,"

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"Although she was tired" is the dependent clause.

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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'.