Dependent Clause (also called subordinate clause)

A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence even though it contains a subject a verb
Here are some dependent clause:

After I went to the skating rink yesterday,..

Because I went to the skating rink yesterday,..
Before I went to the skating rink yesterday,..
Each dependent clause start with a subordinating conjungtion. A short list of common

subordinating conjungtions includes:after, although, as if, as though, because, before, even

if, even though, if, since, though, unless, until,, whenever, whether, while. A subordinatig
conjungtion is the only word that distinguishes a dependent clause from an independent
clause.
As you can see the above clauses dont make sense or are incomplete by them selves.
To be part of a complete sentence, a dependent clause must be joined to an independent
clause. If a dependent clause appears before the main clause, a common follows the
dependent clause. Only when they joined with an independent clause do they become
complete sentences ( and make sense):
After I went to the sjating rink yesterday, I met my friend.
Because I went to the skating rink yesterday, my legs were sore.
Before I went to the skating rink yesterday, I did my homework.
Here you can see that the dependent clause answered a question about the
independent clause, such as: under what circumstances?why?when?
Dependent clauses can alse appear in the middel of an independent clause, such as:
the red telephone, which belonged to Mr. Smith, rang loudly. The dependent clause which
rang loudly begings with the relative pronoun which and modifies the noun phone. In
this sentence the independent clause is The red telephone rang loudly.
SUMBER:
http://www.raritanval.edu/uploadedFiles/studentserv/ACS/ESL_Dependent_and_Independent
_Clauses.pdf