How do you know if a sentence is dependent or independent?

How do you know if a sentence is dependent or independent?

A dependent clause contains a subject and verb, but cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence; an independent clause includes a subject and a verb, and expresses a complete thought.

What contains an independent clause?

An independent clause contains a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb, but no complete thought. A SIMPLE SENTENCE has one independent clause.

Do you need a comma between independent and dependent clauses?

If the dependent clause is first (again, rather like an introduction to the main clause), it is followed by a comma (like in this sentence and the next). If the independent clause comes first, no punctuation separates the two.

How do you identify independent and dependent clauses?

An independent clause (also known as a main clause) is a word group that has both a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause (also known as a subordinate clause) is a word group that has both a subject and a verb but can’t stand alone as a sentence.

Can a dependent clause stand alone?

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.

What is an example of a dependent clause in a sentence?

The definition of dependent is relying on someone or something else, or a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence. An example of dependent is a child to a parent. An example of dependent is “when the rain fell.”.

What is an independent clause?

An independent clause (or main clause) is a clause that can stand by itself as a simple sentence. An independent clause contains a subject and a predicate and makes sense by itself.