Dependent and Independent Clauses

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What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence.

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What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.

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Example of an independent clause:

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"Samson, the family dog, gnawed on the leg of the coffee table." This clause can stand alone.

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Example of a dependent clause:

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"While Bailey slept on the sofa in front of the TV". This clause cannot stand alone.

Front

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: "Because it was raining, we stayed indoors."

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"We stayed indoors." This is the independent clause.

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Identify the dependent clause: "Although she was tired, she finished her homework."

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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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What is a subordinating conjunction?

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A subordinating conjunction is a word that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause (e.g., because, although, while).

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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 coordinating conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or).