Dependent, 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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Identify the independent clause: 'Although it was raining, we went for a walk.'

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The independent clause is 'we went for a walk.'

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Identify the dependent clause: 'When the sun sets, the sky turns orange.'

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The dependent clause is 'When the sun sets.'

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What is a phrase?

Back

A phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject-verb pair and does not express a complete thought.

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Example of an independent clause: 'She enjoys reading books.'

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This is an independent clause because it has a subject ('She') and a verb ('enjoys') and expresses a complete thought.

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Example of a dependent clause: 'Because I was tired.'

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This is a dependent clause because it has a subject ('I') and a verb ('was') but does not express a complete thought.

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What punctuation is often used before a dependent clause when it follows an independent clause?

Back

A comma is often used before a dependent clause when it follows an independent clause.

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Can a dependent clause stand alone as a sentence?

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No, a dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence 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, often providing context or detail.