Unraveling Independent and Dependent Clauses
The art of effective communication is distinctly related to the proper use of language structures such as clauses. In particular, a strong understanding of independent clause and dependent clause is imperative. This post will explore these two important grammar elements in an engaging and accessible way. We will cover what they are and their practical usage supported with plenty of examples.
What are Clauses?
In English grammar, a clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate (verb). Based on how they convey meaning, clauses are classified into two main types: independent clauses and dependent clauses.
What is an Independent Clause?
An independent clause, as the name suggests, can stand alone as a complete sentence. It provides a complete idea or message. This clause doesn’t rely on other parts of the sentence to make sense.
Independent Clause Examples
- She cooks dinner every night.
- I usually wake up early.
- They won the match.
These sentences are independent clauses because they have a subject and a predicate, and convey a complete thought.
What is a Dependent Clause?
Contrary to independent clauses, a dependent clause or subordinate clause, cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It needs to be paired with an independent clause as it doesn’t provide a complete idea on its own.
Dependent Clause Examples
- “Even though I woke up early, I still got to work late.”
- “I’ll go to the cinema if it doesn’t rain.”
- “The bird sings whenever the sun rises.”
In the examples provided, the phrases introduced by “even though”,” if” and “whenever” are dependent clauses. They can’t stand alone and make sense without the rest of the sentence.
Connecting Independent and Dependent Clauses
As we have noted, dependent clauses lean on independent clauses to convey a complete thought. This relationship can be established using conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘because’, among others.
Example:
- “He reads a lot of books and likes to discuss them.”
- “I didn’t go to the party because I had a lot of homework.”
In these examples, ‘and’ and ‘because’ are conjunctions that connect independent and dependent clauses to make a complete sensible sentence.
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Conclusion
Whether you’re a writer, student, teacher, or anyone looking to improve language skills, understanding what is an independent clause and what a dependent clause is, is fundamental. Now that you’ve gotten through the hard part, its time to apply what you learned. As a simple way to remember: an independent clause is a complete sentence on its own, while a dependent clause is not. Happy grammar learning!
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