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/what) and a predicate (what the subject does).
Example: She runs fast. 🏃♀️
- Subject → She
- Predicate → runs fast
| Types of Clauses |
A) Independent Clause ✅
- An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence.
- It expresses a complete thought.
Examples:
- I love ice cream 🍦.
- He is reading a book 📖.
- We went to the park 🌳.
Tip: If it can be a full sentence by itself, it’s independent. ✔️
B) Dependent Clause ❌
- A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence.
- It depends on an independent clause to make sense.
- Often begins with subordinating words like:
- because, although, if, when, since, while, after
Examples:
- Because I was tired 😴
- Although it was raining 🌧️
- If you study hard 📚
Tip: If it feels incomplete or leaves you asking “what happened?” → it’s dependent. ❗
| How to Identify |
| Clause Type | Clue Words | Can it stand alone? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent ✅ | — | Yes | She sings beautifully 🎤. |
| Dependent ❌ | because, if, when, although, since | No | Because she sings beautifully 🎤 … |
| Practice Tips 📝 |
Look for the subject (who/what) and predicate (action).
Ask: Can it be a complete sentence alone?
- Yes → Independent ✅
- No → Dependent ❌
Watch for clue words like because, if, although, when.
| Examples for Practice ✨ |
1. Independent: I baked a cake 🎂.
2. Dependent: Because I baked a cake 🎂…
3. Mixed: I baked a cake 🎂 because I wanted to celebrate 🎉.
- Independent → I baked a cake 🎂
- Dependent → because I wanted to celebrate 🎉
| Quick Emoji Trick 🔍 |
- ✅ Independent → Full sentence emoji 🎯
- ❌ Dependent → Clue/subordinating word emoji 🔑
Let’s practice!✒️
