Identify dependent and independent clauses

Key Notes:

📚 Identify Dependent and Independent Clauses

What is a Clause?

A clause is a group of words that has a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a predicate (what the subject does).

Example:

🐶 The dog barked.

• Subject: The dog
• Predicate: barked

Types of Clauses

A. Independent Clause ✅

• Can stand alone as a complete sentence.
• Expresses a complete thought.

Examples:

• 🌞 I enjoy sunny days.
• 🍎 She eats an apple every morning.

Tip: If it can stand alone and make sense, it’s independent! 💡

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B. Dependent Clause ❌

• Cannot stand alone as a sentence.
• Does not express a complete thought.
• Often starts with subordinating words like:
  • because, although, if, when, since, while

Examples:

• ❗ Because it was raining…
• ❗ Although I was tired…

Tip: A dependent clause leaves you asking: “What happened next?” 🤔

How to Identify Clauses

Clause Type	Clue Words	Can Stand Alone?	Example
Independent ✅	N/A	Yes	I like chocolate 🍫.
Dependent ❌	because, if, when, although…	No	When I went to the park 🌳…

Practice Time ✏️

Identify the clause type in each sentence:

1. 🐱 The cat slept on the mat.
2. 🌧️ Because it was raining, we stayed home.
3. 🎈 She loves to play with balloons.
4. 🐦 Although the bird sang beautifully…

Answers:

1. Independent ✅
2. Dependent ❌
3. Independent ✅
4. Dependent ❌

Quick Tricks 🎯

• Ask yourself: Can it stand alone?
  • Yes → Independent ✅
  • No → Dependent ❌
• Dependent clauses usually start with connecting words (because, if, when…).
• Independent clauses are complete thoughts and make sense alone.

📌 Remember:

A sentence can have both independent and dependent clauses:

• 🌞 I went to the park because it was sunny.
• Independent: I went to the park ✅
• Dependent: because it was sunny ❌