INDEPENDENT AND

DEPENDENT CLAUSES
Understanding the difference between independent and
dependent clauses is important in understanding how to
construct sentences and avoid fragments. This knowledge can
also help in varying sentence length in writing, which makes all
forms of writing better.

Before understanding the different types of clauses, it is

important to understand what a clause is. A clause is a group of
related words that contains both a subject and a verb. On the
other hand, if a group of related words does not contain a
subject with an attached verb, it is simply a phrase.

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand on its

own as a sentence: it has a subject, a verb, and is a complete
thought.

Examples:

 He ran. (Notice that while this sentence only contains two

words, it is still a complete sentence because it contains a
one word subject and a one word predicate that is also a
complete thought.)
 He ran fast.
 I was late to work.
 The paper does not specify which type of format it must be
in.
 The instructor spent the class period reviewing the
difference between independent and dependent clauses.

A dependent clause is a group of words that also contains a

subject and a verb, but it is not a complete thought. Because it is
not a complete thought, a dependent clause cannot stand on its
own as a sentence; it is dependent on being attached to an
independent clause to form a sentence.

Examples:

 Because I woke up late this morning… (what happened?)

 When we arrived in class… (what occurred?)
 If my neighbor does not pay his rent on time… (what will
happen?)

Dependent clauses can often be identified by words called

dependent markers, which are usually subordinating
conjunctions. If a clause begins with one of these words, it is
dependent and needs to be attached to an independent clause.
(Common dependent markers: after, as, although, because,
before, even though, if, once, rather than, since, that, though,
unless, until, when, whenever, whereas, while, among others.)

Note: Just because an independent clause can stand on its own

doesn’t mean it has to. For instance, one or more independent
clauses can be added together to form a compound sentence,
and independent clauses can be added to dependent clauses to
form complex sentences.
What Is an Independent Clause? (with Examples)
An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a sentence (i.e., it
expresses a complete thought).

An independent clause, like all clauses, has a subject and verb.

When there are no dependent clauses in the same sentence as an

independent clause, the independent clause is a simple sentence. For
example:
 I like coconut macaroons.
(This is an independent clause and simple sentence.)
 I like coconut macaroons even though I dislike coconut.
(This is an independent clause and a dependent clause. This is
a complex sentence.)

Examples of Independent Clauses

Here are some examples of independent clauses (shaded). Notice how they
could stand alone as sentences. (This is the difference between an
independent clause and a dependent clause.)
 Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep. (Fran
Lebowitz)
 The best defense against the atom bomb is not to be there when it
goes off. (Anon)
 I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy
something. (Jackie Mason)
 Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit
there. (Will Rogers, 1879-1935)
 My one regret in life is that I am not someone else. (Woody Allen)

What Is a Dependent Clause? (with Examples)

A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) is one that cannot stand alone as
a complete sentence because it does not express a complete thought.

Like all clauses, a dependent clause has a subject and verb.

Examples of Dependent Clauses

Here are some examples of dependent clauses (shaded). Notice how the
shaded clauses could not stand alone as sentences. This is how a dependent
clause differs from an independent clause.
 The crew could see the whale, which had surfaced only 50m behind
them.
 Do you know the butcher who went to court on Saturday?
 I am not tidying the dishes unless Peter helps.
 The excellence of a gift lies in how appropriate it is rather than how
valuable it is.
Types of Dependent Clause
Dependent clauses can act as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.

The Adjective Clause. Here is an example of a dependent clause acting as

an adjective:
 The car that your wife sold me last week has broken down.
(The dependent clause that your wife sold me last week describes the
car. It is an adjective clause.)
The Adverbial Clause. Here is an example of a dependent clause acting as
an adverb:
 He literally stitched mail sacks until his fingers bled.
(The dependent clause until his fingers bled modifies the verb to
stitch. It is an adverbial clause.)
The Noun Clause. Here is an example of a dependent clause acting as a
noun:
 Whoever turned the ovens off is keeping quiet.
(The dependent clause Whoever turned the ovens off is the subject of
this sentence. It is a noun clause.)

The Link between a Dependent Clause and an

Independent Clause
When a dependent clause is used as an adjective or an adverb, it will usually
be part of a complex sentence (i.e., a sentence with an independent clause
and at least one dependent clause). The link between a dependent clause
and an independent clause will often be a subordinating conjunction or
a relative pronoun. For example:
 He literally stitched mail sacks until his fingers bled.
(subordinating conjunction in bold)
 The car which your wife sold me last week has broken down.
(relative pronoun in bold)

Subordinating Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns Used

with Dependent Clauses
Here are some more common subordinating conjunctions and relative pronouns:

Common
Subordinating Relative Pronouns
Conjunctions

 after  how
 although  that
 as  what
 because  when
 before  where
 even if  which
 even  who
though  whom
 if  whose
 provided  why
 rather
The relative pronouns above are the simple relative
than
pronouns. You can also have compound ones. A compound
 since
relative pronoun is formed by adding either ever or soever to
 so that
a simple pronoun.
 than
 whoever (who + ever)
 though
 whosever (whose + ever)
 unless
(Spelling rule: Don't allow ee.)
 until
 whosoever (who + soever)
 whether
 whosesoever (whose + soever)
 while

Independent Clause
1. What is an Independent Clause?
An independent clause is a clause that can work alone as a complete
sentence. It contains a subject and a predicate that together express a
complete thought. An independent clause is also called a “main clause”
because it contains a sentence’s main idea, and as the main part, it isn’t
“dependent” on other clauses to make sense. But, a dependent clause relies
on an independent clause to make a full sentence. That means that all
sentences need an independent clause—no sentence can be complete
without one!
2. Examples of Independent Clause
Here are some examples of independent clauses that you use every
day. As you can see, they each have only one subject and one predicate.
 My name is Lily.
 I travel extensively.
 I’m visiting China this summer.
 We really love pandas.
 Pandas eat bamboo!
 Some pandas are really giant.

3. Parts of Independent Clauses

An independent clause only needs two main things to make sense on
its own: a subject, and a predicate. But, independent clauses may also
have modifiers and objects to make them more detailed.
a. Subject
A sentence’s subject is the thing that is “doing” the action. Often it’s
just a single noun (a person, place, thing, or idea), but it can also be a
gerund or a noun phrase that uses other modifiers. Here are some
examples of subjects:
 Lily studies. Single noun subject
 You work. Single noun subject
 Giant pandas chew. Noun phrase subject
 Traveling is fun. Gerund subject
b. Predicate
A predicate is the word or phrase that expresses a sentence’s action.
It may be just a single verb, or it may be a verb phrase (a verb with its
related objects and/or modifiers). Here are some examples
of predicates.
 The panda chewed. Single verb = predicate
 The panda chewed bamboo. Verb + object = predicate
 The panda chewed slowly. Verb + modifier = predicate
 The panda chewed bamboo slowly. Verb + object + modifier = predicate
c. Modifiers
Modifiers are adverbs and adjectives that “modify” another word by
adding more details to it. In independent clauses, they paint a better
picture of the subject or the predicate. Here are some examples
of modifiers.
 Chewing slowly
 The giant, fluffy panda
 Adventurous Lily
 Travels extensively
d. Objects
An object is a thing in a sentence that receives the verb’s action. Many
independent clauses will include objects to make ideas more
complete. Here are some examples of objects:
 Pandas eat bamboo.
 They have black and white fur.
 Lily traveled to China.
 She loves pandas.