An underlined clause is independent if it expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence; it is dependent if it begins with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun and cannot stand alone.
What’s Happening
An underlined clause is dependent when it begins with a subordinating conjunction (e.g., because, although, when) or a relative pronoun and cannot convey a complete thought by itself.
A clause is just a group of words with both a subject and a verb. The real difference? Whether it can stand on its own or needs help to make sense. Take “Although the dog barked loudly”—it starts with “although,” so it’s begging for more details. According to Grammarly, dependent clauses usually act as adverbs, adjectives, or nouns, but they always need an independent clause to finish their thought. Independent clauses, like “The dog barked loudly”, are self-sufficient. No extra context required.
Step-by-Step Solution
To determine if an underlined clause is independent or dependent, check if it begins with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun and whether it conveys a complete thought on its own.
- Identify the clause. Find the group of words with a subject and a verb. Example: “Since she arrived early”
- Check the introductory word. Figure out if it’s a subordinating conjunction (e.g., because, although, when, while, if, since) or a relative pronoun (e.g., who, which, that, whom, whose).
- Subordinating conjunctions kick off adverbial clauses and can’t survive alone Merriam-Webster.
- Relative pronouns start adjectival clauses and face the same problem.
- Test completeness. Ask yourself: Can this stand as its own sentence?
- No? It’s dependent and needs an independent clause to lean on.
- Yes? It’s independent and good to go.
- Apply punctuation rules.
- Add a comma before a dependent clause at the start of a sentence: “When the meeting ended, everyone left.”
- Skip the comma when the dependent clause trails an independent one: “Everyone left when the meeting ended.”
