Understanding independent and dependent clauses is an important step in learning English grammar. These clauses form the foundation of sentences, and knowing how to use them correctly will help you communicate clearly.
This guide is designed for beginners, explaining each concept with simple examples and easy-to-follow explanations.
Independent and dependent clauses are the two main categories of clauses.
A cluase is a group of words that contains at least one subject and at least one verb, but clauses can be either complete or incomplete sentences, depending on their wording and punctuation.Â
If the clause alone is a complete sentence, it is an independent clause. if the cluase alone is not a complete sentence, it is a dependent clause.
What is an Independent Clause?
An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can be a sentence by itself. It has a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a verb (what the subject is doing). For example:
- I went to the store.
- She enjoys reading books.
Because an independent clause contains both a subject and a verb, a single independent clause is a simple sentence, the most basic type of sentence. However, you can also combine two or more independent clauses to create a compound sentence.Â
Examples of Independent Clauses in Sentences
- The dog barked.
- We are going to the park.
- They cooked dinner together.
What is a Dependent Clause?
A dependent clause also has a subject and a verb, but it does not express a complete thought. It needs an independent clause to make sense. For example;
- Because it was raining.
- Although she tried her best.
Dependent clauses are a little more complicated. Also known as subordinate clauses, dependent clauses alone are not complete sentences, even though they have both a subject and a verb. Dependent clauses need to join with an independent clause to be correct, hence the name is dependent.
Examples of Dependent Clauses in Sentences
- When the movie ended, we went home.
- If you work hard, you will succeed.
- Because the cake was delicious, everyone asked for more.
In each example, the dependent clause is connected to an independent clause to complete the meanings of the sentence.
Dependent clauses ae usually easy to recognize because they include a subordinating conjunction or relative pronouns. Subordinating conjunctions and relative pronouns are words like because, if, or whenever that signal a relationship between the dependent clause and the independent clause it joins.Â
Examples of Independent and Dependent ClausesÂ
Sentences with Independent Clauses Alone
- She loves chocolate.
- We are going on vacation.
- The teacher explained the lesson clearly.
Sentences with Both Independent and Dependent Clauses
- When the bell rang, the students left the classroom.
- I didn’t answer the phone because I was busy.
- Although it was late, we continued working.
How to connect independent and dependent clauses
Connecting independent and dependent clauses is easy – after all, dependent clauses are designed to be connected.Â
1. Using Subordinating Conjunction with Dependent Clauses
All you need is either a subordinating conjunction (e.g., if, because, before/after, although, once) or a relative pronoun (e.g., where, when, wherever, whenever). You can also turn an independent clause into a dependent clause just by adding a subordinating conjunction or relative pronouns.Â
Dependent clauses often begin with subordinating conjunctions like because, if, when, although, or since.
Examples:
- Independent: I stayed home.
- Dependent: Because I was tired.
- Combined: I stayed home because I was tired.
2. Joining Independent and Dependent Clauses with Commas
Because dependent clauses already have these most of the time, you simply put the two causes together with the appropriate punctuation. Using punctuation when connecting independent and dependent clauses is also simple. If the dependent clause comes first, use a comma between those two clauses.
When a dependent clause comes first, use a comma to separate it from the independent clause.
For example:
- Where you go, I will follow.
- If it rains, we will cancel the picnic.
- Although he was late, he finished his work on time.
If the independent clause comes first, no comma is necessary.Â
For example:
- I will follow you wherever you go.
- We will cancel the picnic if it rains.
How to connect two or more independent clauses
You can aslo connect two independent clauses together, or even more.Â
Example:Â
- I am vegan, and my partner is pescatarian, but we live above a BBQ restaurant.
Basically, ther are tow ways to connect independent clauses: Add a coordinating conjunction or use a colon o semicolon.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions are the main type of conjunction and the most common ones. You may recognize the seven coordinating conjunctions at the FANBOYS:
- ForÂ
- AndÂ
- Nor
- But
- Or
- Yet
- So
You can use coordinating conjunctions to connect independent clauses. Just place a comma after the first independent clause and add the appropriate coordinating conjunction before the second independent clause.
Examples
- It was a calculated risk. I’m bad at math.
- It was a calculated risk, But I’m bad at math.
Colon or Semicolon
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Common Mistakes with Independent and Dependent Clauses
Fragments from Incomplete Dependent Clauses
A dependent clause on its own is a sentence fragment, not a complete sentence.
Example:
- Incorrect: While I was walking.
- Correct: While I was walking, I saw a bird.
Run-on Sentences Without Proper Punctuation
Combining independent clauses without proper punctuation creates run-on sentences.
Example:
- Incorrect: She went to the store she bought some bread.
- Correct: She went to the store, and she bought some bread.
1. Sentence Fragments
Without an independent claue, a dependent caluse is a sentence fragment, or a piece of a sentence that is missing the necessary parts to make it complete.
For example:
- Becuase the traffic was bad.
You can always reword the dependent clause to turn it into an independent clause (such as by removing the subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun). However, it’s easiest to simply connect it to an independent clause.
For example:
- Because the traffic was bad, I was late for my meeting.
2. Run-on Sentences
A run-on sentence, also known as a fused sentence, is when two or more independent clauses are joined without a proper connection.
For example:
- There is no alien life on the moon we would have seen it by now. [Incorrect]
To correct a run-on sentence, you can connect the clauses using one of the methods explained above: coordinating conjunctions, a colon, o a semicolon.
For Example:
- There is no alien life on the moon, or we would have seen it by now.Â
- There is no alien life on the moon; we would have seen it by now.
- There is no alien life on the moon: We should have seen it by now.
Alternatively, you can simply split up the run-on sentence and turn it into multiple sentences.
For instance;
- There is no alien life on the moon. We would have seen it by now.
3. Comma Splices
A comma splice is when clauses are joined by only a comma and nothing else.Â
- It will be winter soon, we should go for a walk while the weather is nice.
In this case, you can simply convert the comma into a semicolon.Â
- It will be winter soon; we should go for a walk while the weather is nice.
Depending on the context, you can sometimes add a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses or add a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun to turn one clause into a dependent clause.
- It will be winter soon, we should go for a walk while the weather is nice.Â
- Because it will be winter soon, we should go for a walk while the weather is nice.Â
You can also turn the comma into a period to create two separate sentences.
- It will be winter soon. We should go for a walk while the weather is nice.
Practice Exercises: Independent and Dependent Clauses
Identify Clause Types in Sentences
- If you are ready, we can leave now. (Dependent: If you are ready; Independent: we can leave now)
- The sun is shining brightly. (Independent)
- Because the car broke down, we were late. (Dependent: Because the car broke down; Independent: we were late)
Combine Independent and Dependent Clauses
- Combine: I will help you. You ask me politely.
Answer: I will help you if you ask me politely. - Combine: The train arrived. We got on board.
Answer: When the train arrived, we got on board.
Conclusion
Understanding independent and dependent clauses is a key skill for building strong sentences in English. Independent clauses express complete thoughts, while dependent clauses add extra details. By practicing how to combine them, you can write more complex and meaningful sentences. Keep practicing, and soon, you’ll master using independent and dependent clauses confidently in your writing and speaking.
FAQs About Independent and Dependent ClausesÂ
Below are the most frequently asked questions about clauses in English.
What is an independent clause?
An independent clause is a cluase that can stand alone as a sentence. An independent cluase alone makes up a simple sentence.
What is a dependent clause?
A dependent cluase is a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause needs to join an independent clause to form a complete sentence. You can usually identify dependent clauses because they begin with a subordinating conjunction like because or if or with a relative pronoun like when or whenever.
How do I connect independent and dependent clauses?
As long as there’s already a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun, you can place independent and dependent clauses right next to each other in as sentence. If the dependent clause comes first, add a comma between the two clauses. If the independent cluase comes first, no comma is necessary.
I hope this article helped you learn what independent and dependent clauses are, how to use them in sentences, mistakes to avoid using these clauses, and practical examples of everyday sentences using independent and dependent clauses.
If you liked it, please subscribe to our newsletter for more articles on grammar, vocabulary, and language learning.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for the latest updates.
0 Comments