{"id":36487,"date":"2017-12-27T19:09:18","date_gmt":"2017-12-27T19:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=36487"},"modified":"2026-03-28T11:19:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:19:14","slug":"independent-and-dependent-clauses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/independent-and-dependent-clauses\/","title":{"rendered":"Independent and Dependent Clause"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_gnO7CGEzaWg\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_gnO7CGEzaWg\" data-source-videoID=\"gnO7CGEzaWg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Independent and Dependent Clause Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Independent and Dependent Clause\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_gnO7CGEzaWg:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_gnO7CGEzaWg {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/1604-independent-and-dependent-clause-1-1.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_gnO7CGEzaWg\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_gnO7CGEzaWg\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Independent and Dependent Clause\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_gnO7CGEzaWg\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_gnO7CGEzaWg\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_gnO7CGEzaWg\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction Ulk_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"Ulk\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"Ulk_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"Ulk\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#What_is_an_Independent_Clause\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">What is an Independent Clause?<\/a>\n<ul><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h3\"><a href=\"#Independent_Clause_Examples\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Independent Clause Examples<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#What_is_a_Dependent_Clause\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">What is a Dependent Clause?<\/a>\n<ul><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h3\"><a href=\"#Dependent_Clause_Examples\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Dependent Clause Examples<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>There is often a lot of confusion over the difference between independent and dependent clauses. These are both fancy names for relatively simple concepts. In this video, we\u2019ll learn how to recognize them in your reading and how to use them effectively in your writing. <\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_is_an_Independent_Clause\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>What is an Independent Clause?<\/h2>\n<p>\nFirst, let\u2019s look at independent clauses. An independent clause is a grouping of words that can stand alone as its own sentence. In order to be an independent clause, there has to be:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">A <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/subjects\/\">subject<\/a><\/p>\n<p>An action or predicate<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\">A complete thought<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThe subject is who or what the sentence is about, while the action or predicate shows what the subject of the sentence does.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Independent_Clause_Examples\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Independent Clause Examples<\/h3>\n<p>\nHere\u2019s a very simple example:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">I write.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn this short example, there is a subject, <em>I<\/em>, an action, <em>write<\/em>, and a complete thought is being expressed.  This is, therefore, an example of an independent clause! Here are some other, longer examples:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">Jill likes to eat ice cream.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\">The teacher wrote a mathematical equation on the chalkboard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAgain, these are independent clauses because they contain a subject, predicate, and express a complete thought. <\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, multiple independent clauses are combined to create compound sentences. A common way to connect independent clauses is to use a <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/coordinating-and-correlative-conjunctions\/\">conjunction<\/a>. For example: <\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">Andrew worked all night, <strong>but<\/strong> he was still unable to complete the project.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNote that \u201cAndrew worked all night\u201d and \u201che was still unable to complete the project\u201d are both independent clauses. They could potentially stand alone as sentences. However, the use of a comma followed by a conjunction, but, allows this to work as a single sentence. Here are a couple more examples:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">He didn\u2019t feel well, <strong>so<\/strong> he didn\u2019t go to work.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\">The tree\u2019s leaves changed color, <strong>for<\/strong> it was the beginning of fall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnother way to connect independent clauses is by using independent markers. Some of the more common independent marker words are <em>also, consequently, however, furthermore, moreover, nevertheless<\/em>, and <em>therefore<\/em>. When we use an independent marker word to connect two independent clauses, we always use a semicolon and a comma. For example:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">I tried my best to catch the bus on time<strong>; however,<\/strong> I was too slow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\">The dog ate my homework<strong>; consequently,<\/strong> I was unable to hand it in the next day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAlways be sure to avoid using a comma to link two independent clauses. Doing so results in an error known as a comma splice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">I love cheeseburgers, this is one of the best I\u2019ve ever eaten.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nHere, we have two independent clauses separated by a comma. There are a few ways to fix this error. You could add a conjunction after the comma: I love cheeseburgers, <strong>and<\/strong> this is one of the best I\u2019ve ever eaten. You could use a period to create two separate sentences: I love cheeseburgers. This is one of the best I\u2019ve ever eaten. Or, you could change the comma to a semicolon.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_is_a_Dependent_Clause\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>What is a Dependent Clause?<\/h2>\n<p>\nOkay, now let\u2019s move to dependent clauses! A dependent clause is similar to an independent clause, because it is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate. The main feature that distinguishes the two is that a dependent clause does not express a complete thought.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Dependent_Clause_Examples\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Dependent Clause Examples<\/h3>\n<p>\nFor example:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">When I ate the chicken<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nHere, there is a subject and a predicate, yet the thought is incomplete. What happened when I ate the chicken? <\/p>\n<p>Dependent clauses often begin with dependent word markers, like the word when in this example. Other dependent word markers include <em>after, although, as, as if, because, before, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether,<\/em> and <em>while<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at some other dependent clauses with these word markers:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\"><strong>After<\/strong> the show I went<\/p>\n<p><strong>Though<\/strong> the boy liked cherries<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\"><strong>Because<\/strong> Linda hated working<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nEach of these are dependent clauses, since they contain a subject and a predicate but do not express a complete thought.<\/p>\n<p>So, as you can see, distinguishing between independent and dependent clauses is relatively simple once you know what to look for. Remember that each type of clause contains a subject and predicate, but independent clauses go one step further and create a complete thought.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review<\/h2>\n<p>\nNow, before we go, let\u2019s look at a review question!<\/p>\n<p>Which of these describes an independent clause?<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>It can always be treated as a sentence.<\/li>\n<li>There can only be one independent clause in a sentence.<\/li>\n<li>It must contain a comma.<\/li>\n<li>It expresses an incomplete thought.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer1')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer1\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>The correct answer is A!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">An independent clause is, well, independent! It can always stand alone as its own sentence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI hope this review was helpful! Thanks for watching, and happy studying!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/writing\/\">Return to Writing Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nfunction toggle(obj) {\n          var obj=document.getElementById(obj);\n          if (obj.style.display == \"block\") obj.style.display = \"none\";\n          else obj.style.display = \"block\";\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Writing Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":100603,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-36487","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","7":"page_category-writing-videos","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36487"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280922,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36487\/revisions\/280922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}