Punctuating Dependent and Indpedent Clauses

Which of these is a dependent clause?

• The turtles have been sleeping.

• The turtles sleep.

• The turtles are sleeping.

• While the turtles slept.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.1A

CCSS.L.9-10.1B

Which of these is a dependent clause?

• If the jellyfish arrive.

• The ocean was full of jellyfish.

• The jellyfish have been seen in the bay.

• The jellyfish arrived.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.1A

CCSS.L.9-10.1B

Which of these is an independent clause?

• When crabs fight.

• The crabs are fighting.

• While fighting.

• Since the crabs fought.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.1A

CCSS.L.9-10.1B

Which is an independent clause?

• Although sharks circled the boat.

• Until sharks circled the boat.

• While circling the boat.

• Sharks circled the boat.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.1A

CCSS.L.9-10.1B

Which needs a comma?

• Because the night was dark we could see the plankton.

• We could see the plankton because the night was dark.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.2C

CCSS.L.6.2A

Which needs a comma?

• While we swam in the ocean we saw seagulls.

• We saw seagulls while we swam in the ocean.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.2C

CCSS.L.6.2A

Which needs a comma?

• Once we arrived at the waterfall we heard the frogs.

• We heard the frogs once we arrived at the waterfall.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.2C

CCSS.L.6.2A

Which needs a comma?

• The dolphins swam away after they spotted us.

• After the dolphins spotted us they swam away.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.2C

CCSS.L.6.2A

What is it called when someone joins two complete sentences (independent clauses) with a comma?

• a gerund

• a subordinating conjunction

• a comma splice

• a dangling modifer

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.1

CCSS.L.9-10.2

Which of these cannot be used to join together complete sentences?

• a semicolon

• a comma

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.2A