What Is Considered An 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. A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought.

How do 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.

What is an example of an independent clause?

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 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.

Does every sentence have an independent clause?

Be sure that

each sentence includes only one independent clause

and the rest dependent clauses. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence. Like an independent clause, it has a subject and a verb.

What are the types of independent clauses?

How do you tell if a sentence is independent or dependent?

An independent clause contains

a subject, a verb, and a complete thought

. A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb, but no complete thought.

How do you find the independent clause in a sentence?

1. They have a subject – they tell the reader what the sentence is about.
2. They have an action or predicate – they tell the reader what the subject is doing.
3. They express a complete thought – something happened or was said.

What type of sentence has 2 independent clauses?

A compound sentence

= 2 independent clauses (joined correctly!) Here is an independent clause (simple sentence): It contains a subject (Tom), a verb (saw), and a complete thought.

How do you identify an independent and subordinate clause?

1. independent clauses can be a complete sentence, or can be part of a sentence.
2. subordinate clauses can’t be a complete sentence. …
3. subordinate clause must begin either a subordinate conjunction (such as because, why, while etc) or a relative pronoun.

What are the 3 types of dependent clauses?

• Adverbial Dependent Clauses.
• Relative Dependent Clauses.
• Noun Dependent Clauses.

How do you join independent clauses?

To combine two independent clauses (complete sentences),

use a semicolon or a comma and conjunction

. To attach a dependent clause, use a comma if it comes before the independent clause; use no comma if it comes after the independent clause, unless it is a “contrast word” (although, though, even though, whereas).

What words start dependent clauses?

To identify the difference between these two clauses, look for two types of signal words that often start a dependent clause:

subordinating conjunctions and relative pronouns

.

How many independent clauses can you have in a sentence?

A

simple sentence consists of only one clause

. A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses. A complex sentence has at least one independent clause plus at least one dependent clause.

Can an independent clause stand on its own?

There are two types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses.

An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence

.

Do clauses have to be separated by commas?

The

essential adjective clause should NOT be separated from the sentence with commas

. The nonessential adjective clause (like other nonessential elements) SHOULD be separated with commas.