Independent and Dependent Clauses

by | Dec 9, 2024 | Clauses | 0 comments

What are dependent and independent clauses?

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. 

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 are independent clauses?

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. 

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Examples:

  • My partner wants to run a marathon together, but I prefer to watch them.
  • ,,
  • ,,

What are dependent clauses?

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:

  • My partner wants to run a marathon together, but I prefer to watch them.
  • ,,
  • ,,

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. 

Independent and Dependent Clauses Examples

Next Tuesday will be my first day at my new job. 

If the interview goes well, next Tusesday will be my first day at my new job.

You have to finish your vegetables, and then you can eat dessert. 

You have to finish your vegetables before you can eat dessert. 

My care broke down less than a mile from my home. It didn’t pass inspection. 

My car, which 

How to connect independent and dependent clauses

Connecting independent and dependent clauses is easy – after all, dependent clauses are designed to be connected. 

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. 

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.

If the dependent clause comes first, use a comma between the two clauses.

For example:

  • Where you go, I will follow.

If the independent clause comes first, no comma is necessary. 

For examples:

  • I will follow you wherever you go.

How to connect two or more independent clauses

You can aslo connect two independent clauses together, or even more. 

Example: 

  • 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:

  • For 
  • And 
  • 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

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Common Mistakes with Independent and Dependent Clauses

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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. 
  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • 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. 
  • Because it will be winter soon, we should go for a walk while the weather is nice. 

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.

    Conclusion

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    Independent and Dependent Clauses FAQs

    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.

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