What are two main parts of an independent clause?
What Is an Independent Clause in English?
- Pronunciation
- Examples and Observations. A clause is a group of words that [contains] a subject and a verb. ...
- Independent Clauses, Subordinate Clauses, and Sentences. "An independent clause is one that is not dominated by anything else, and a subordinate clause is a clause that is dominated by something ...
What makes a dependent clause?
To fix a comma splice, you can:
- add a coordinating conjunction after the comma,
- replace the comma with a semicolon (or em dash or colon, as appropriate), or
- add a subordinating conjunction to create one dependent clause.
What does a dependent clause begin with?
Dependent clauses can function either as noun clauses, adjective clauses, or adverb clauses in a sentence. A dependent clause begins with words such as after, although, because, before, if, since, that, until, what, when, where, who, which, and why. Similarly, what is an example of a clause?
What is different between independent and dependent clauses?
What is a Clause
- Independent Clauses: She served tea for the guests. ...
- Dependent Clauses: Mary had her dinner after she watched the news on TV. ...
- Noun Clause: We saw what you did to her. ...
- Adjective Clause: The sofa which you bought last year needs to be reupholstered. ...
- Adverbial Clause: He goes to school whenever he wants. ...
What is the meaning of independent clause?
An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is a sentence. Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz.
What is an independent clause example?
An independent clause is the combination of at least one subject and predicate. It expresses a complete thought. For example: The waves crashed onto the sandy shore.
What is a independent clause simple sentence?
A simple sentence is made up of only one independent clause. An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and forms a complete thought when standing alone. The subject refers to someone or something (the subject contains at least one noun or pronoun).
What are 3 examples of a independent clause?
Independent Clause Examples Waiting to have my car's oil changed is boring. She wants to travel the world and see wonderful sights. Our planets revolve around the sun. The professor always comes to class fully prepared.
How can you identify an independent clause?
An independent clause is a sentence that has a subject and a verb and requires no extra information to understand. Dependent clauses, which start with subordinating conjunctions such as "while," "that," or "unless," give background information but cannot stand on their own as sentences.
Where is the independent clause in a sentence?
An independent clause is a complete sentence in itself but may appear together with other clauses in compound or complex sentences. For example, "as soon as you get here" is a clause; it has a subject (you) and a verb (get), but it doesn't express a complete thought.
What are some examples of independent and dependent clauses?
If a dependent marker word is used, the clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. For example: "If she leaves" = not a complete sentence.If an independent marker word is used, the clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. For example: "Therefore, she leaves" = a complete sentence.
What is a clause sentence example?
Definition of clause 1 : a group of words containing a subject and predicate and functioning as a member of a complex (see complex entry 2 sense 1b(2)) or compound (see compound entry 3 sense 3b) sentence The sentence "When it rained they went inside" consists of two clauses: "when it rained" and "they went inside."
What is a simple sentence 5 examples?
Examples of simple sentences include the following: Joe waited for the train. The train was late. Mary and Samantha took the bus.
How do you tell if a sentence is independent or dependent?
There are two types of clauses: dependent and independent. A dependent (subordinate) clause is an incomplete thought that cannot stand alone as a sentence. An independent (main) clause is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence.
What are 2 independent clauses in a sentence?
A single independent clause is a simple sentence. Combining two independent clauses creates a compound sentence.
What are the 5 examples of dependent clause?
Examples of Dependent ClausesWhen the president arrives.Because I can't wait for the bus.As if he knew what was going to happen.Than his sister can.If you can work on Sundays.Until the sun sets.While flowers continue to bloom.Whenever you come to visit.More items...
What are 2 independent clauses in a sentence?
A single independent clause is a simple sentence. Combining two independent clauses creates a compound sentence.
What are some examples of independent and dependent clauses?
If a dependent marker word is used, the clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. For example: "If she leaves" = not a complete sentence.If an independent marker word is used, the clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. For example: "Therefore, she leaves" = a complete sentence.
What are dependent clauses 5 examples?
Examples of Dependent ClausesWhen the president arrives.Because I can't wait for the bus.As if he knew what was going to happen.Than his sister can.If you can work on Sundays.Until the sun sets.While flowers continue to bloom.Whenever you come to visit.More items...
What are the 3 types of dependent clauses?
It must always be accompanied by at least one independent clause. There are three kinds of dependent clauses: noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverbial clauses.
What is an independent clause?
Independent Clause. An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a sentence (i.e., it expresses a complete thought). A dependent clauses (or subordinate clause) is one that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence (i.e., it does not express a complete thought). Remember that a clause has a subject and a verb .
Why Should I Care about Independent and Dependent Clauses?
There's only one reason to care about independent and dependent clauses: comma placement.
Why do you put a comma after a fronted adverbial dependent clause?
The purpose of the comma is to aid reading. It shows your readers where the clause ends. Omitting a comma isn't a hideous crime (and lots of writers do it, even prefer it), but omitting the comma can cause your readers to stumble as they try to find the end of the dependent clause.
What is a wife in grammar?
Wives are people " who " feel they don't dance enough. (Groucho Marx) (The dependent clause is linked to the independent one with the relative pronoun "who.") Dependent Clauses inside Independent Clauses. Grammarians are divided on whether a dependent clause can be a component of an independent clause.
Is a dependent clause an independent clause?
Grammarians are divided on whether a dependent clause can be a component of an independent clause. Some say yes, and some say no. The no-camp claims that a dependent clause must be linked with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun to an independent clause. Whoever named it necking was a poor judge of anatomy.
Is necking a dependent clause?
(Groucho Marx) (According to the yes-camp, "whoever named it necking" is a dependent clause despite being the subject of the independent clause.) Types of Dependent Clause. Let's quickly look at dependent clauses.
Do you put a comma before or after a clause?
Don't use a comma before the clause if it follows the independent clause. Using a comma after a fronted adverbial dependent clause is such a common style, it's becoming increasingly safe to call it a rule. The purpose of the comma is to aid reading. It shows your readers where the clause ends.
Why are independent clauses used?
Independent clauses are used to create several types of sentence structure, and it can be difficult to identify independent clauses, especially in compound, complex, or compound-complex sentences.
How many independent clauses are there in a complex sentence?
Compound-complex sentences wrap together at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Complex sentences tend to be long and use both coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in their construction.
What is the simplest sentence?
The simplest sentence is an independent clause. You can create a one-word imperative sentence with an understood subject (you) that is an independent clause:
Can you contrast an independent clause with a dependent clause?
You can contrast the independent clause with a dependent clause, a phrase that cannot stand on its own:
Is "when" a subordinate clause?
This means it is the independent clause. The part after the ", when" is a subordinate clause as it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
What is an independent clause?
An independent clause is a group of words consisting of a complete subject and a complete verb/predicate. In the English language, a grammatically accurate sentence must contain at least one independent clause. An independent clause can stand on its own as a full sentence, and it expresses a complete thought. An independent clause also may be called a main clause or a superordinate clause.
How many types of independent clauses are there in the English language?
The English language contains at least six types of independent clauses:
What is an independent marker word?
An independent marker word is a connecting word used at the beginning of an independent clause. These words often begin a sentence that can stand alone. When the second independent clause in a sentence is introduced by an independent marker word, a semicolon is needed before the independent marker word.
What are connectors in an independent clause?
Two types of words can be used as connectors at the beginning of an independent clause: coordinating conjunctions and independent marker words.
Which clause comes first in a sentence?
In a sentence containing both independent clauses and dependent clauses, either clause can come first. Here are three examples:
When is a comma needed before a coordinating conjunction?
When the second independent clause in a sentence begins with a coordinating conjunction, a comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction. Here's an example:
What is an imperative sentence?
Imperative sentences are commands. For example, "Turn off the light."
What is an independent clause?
Richard Nordquist. Updated January 25, 2019. In English grammar, an independent clause is a group of words made up of a subject and a predicate. Unlike a dependent clause, an independent clause is grammatically complete—that is, it can stand alone as a sentence.
What is the difference between an independent clause and a subordinate clause?
"An independent clause is one that is not dominated by anything else, and a subordinate clause is a clause that is dominated by something else. A sentence, on the other hand, can be made up of numerous independent and/or subordinate clauses, so it can't really be defined in terms of the syntactic concept of clause ." (Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Navigating English Grammar: A Guide to Analyzing Real Language. Wiley-Blackwell, 2014)
Can an independent clause stand alone?
An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, beginning with a capital letter and ending with terminal punctuation such as a period. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence; instead, it must be attached to an independent clause.". (Gary Lutz and Diane Stevenson, The Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference.
What distinguishes an independent clause from a dependent clause?
In many cases, in fact, the only thing that distinguishes an independent clause from a dependent clause is the presence of a subordinating conjunction. Consider what the addition of a subordinating conjunction does to these examples:
What is a clause in a sentence?
A clause is a part of a sentence that contains a subject and some kind of predicate. The sentence “After the rain stopped, we went out on our bikes” contains two clauses: “the rain stopped” and “we went out on our bikes.”. The subjects rain and we are given something to do, thereby completing the idea.
Why do dependent clauses make no sense on their own?
The dependent clauses in these examples make no sense on their own as complete thoughts, because the subordinating conjunctions that are attached to them ( when, since, although) depend on information outside of the clause. (They do, however, all seem like pretty normal text messages.)
What does the subordinating conjunction mean in a sentence?
They contain a complete idea in their own right, including a subject and corresponding verb (“Mary gave”), but the existence of the subordinating conjunction that indicates that the clause cannot stand on its own as a sentence. It depends on the main clause, because the main clause contains the object (“bike”) that the verb in the dependent clause ...
Can an independent clause stand alone?
An independent clause, in contrast, can stand alone as a complete simple sentence even though it is usually functioning as part of a larger sentence. For a sentence to be complete, all it needs is a subject and a verb: “She sighed.”. No part of the sentence depends on some element expressed outside the sentence.
Is a dependent clause a simple sentence?
By definition, a dependent clause does not form a simple sentence by itself. Also called a subordinate clause, it is connected to the main clause of a sentence by a sentence conjunction such as that or when.
Easy Examples of Dependent and Independent Clauses
- The patrol had spotted the sniper, who was hidingin an attic.
- Do you know the butcher who wentto court on Saturday?
- I am not tidying the dishes unless Peter helps.
- When it rains, the daffodils bow their heads.
Some Real-Life Examples of Dependent and Independent Clauses
- The secret of life is honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made. (Groucho Marx)
- If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd liketo hear it again. (Groucho Marx)
- Go, and never darken my towels again. (Groucho Marx)
The Link Between An Independent Clause and A Dependent Clauses
- If I held you any closer, I would be on the other side of you. (Groucho Marx)
- Wives are people "who" feelthey don't dance enough. (Groucho Marx)
Use A Comma Before An "And" That Links Two Independent clauses.
- Yesterday is dead, and tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just today, and I'm going to be happy in it. (Groucho Marx)
- I never forget a face, but in your case I will be glad to make an exception. (Groucho Marx)
- I have a mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it. (Groucho Marx)
- In Hollywood, brides keep the bouquets and throw away the groom. (Groucho Marx)
There's More to Point 3.
- Jack didn't win because he was the best player. He won because he paid the referee.
- Jack didn't win, because he was the worst player.