Strengthen your sentence-building skills with our helpful guide!
Author
Christina Levandowski
Published
February 20, 2024
Strengthen your sentence-building skills with our helpful guide!
Author
Christina Levandowski
Published
Feb 20, 2024
Strengthen your sentence-building skills with our helpful guide!
Author
Christina Levandowski
Published
Feb 20, 2024
Key takeaways
Learning the differences between independent clauses and dependent clauses is a great way to strengthen your writing skills — whether you’re a student or an adult learner. Here’s everything you need to know about independent clauses and dependent clauses, and the best ways to differentiate between them. We’re here to help!
An independent clause is a string of words that have both a subject and a verb. It’s a sentence that expresses a complete thought, relying on no other information for it to make sense.
Looking for examples of independent clauses? We’ve got you covered. Here are a few that you likely mimic without even thinking about it!
You can determine if a group of words is an independent or a dependent clause by asking yourself one question: Does the content depend on additional information?
Generally speaking, you won’t have to ask any other questions with an independent clause. It makes sense on its own, without any additional information. In contrast, a dependent clause often leaves you wondering “why?” or “what else is there in this story?”
Another hint to look out for is the presence of a subordinating conjunction at the start of the dependent clause. These can include words like:
Now that we know what to look for when we’re identifying what type of clause a sentence is, let’s put it into practise. Below, we’ve listed an example of a dependent clause, followed by an example of an independent clause — explaining why each option is classified the way that it is.
Not sure where to start when it comes to determining the different types of sentences? Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Practise makes perfect, so these spotting practises will help you quickly!
When you’re practising with independent and dependent clauses, it’s important to remember to avoid two primary areas of error: Comma splices and run-on sentences.
A comma splice is different from a run-on sentence. A splice happens when people use a comma to tie together two independent clauses.
Example: “He’s so furry, he’s a very fluffy dog.”
A run-on, however, is a sentence that brings two independent clauses together without any sort of conjunctions or punctuation.
Example: “Max enjoys drinking sodas on the patio therefore he must enjoy drinking tea on the patio too.”
Students can connect independent clauses using two primary methods: a coordinating conjunction (with commas), and colons (or semicolons!) Here’s what you need to know about using each in confidence.
Coordinating conjunctions are best known as FANBOYS, a fun acronym to help you remember each of the seven. FANBOYS stands for “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so,” when placed in order, per Grammarly.
When using a coordinating conjunction to join independent clauses, simply pick one of the FANBOYS and include a comma to show a relationship between the two independent clauses, creating a complete sentence (better known as a compound sentence). This keeps your work free of fragments and as clear as possible.
Example: “The woman wanted coffee, but she couldn’t choose which milk she wanted.”
Coordinated conjunctions are most commonly seen in informal writing, in dialogue, or if you wish to put equal emphasis on the pieces that you’re connecting.
Semicolons and colons are similar, but not quite the same. Semicolons are usually used to show a very close relationship between two independent clauses, and can be used with a transition word (followed by a comma). They are generally considered to be more formal methods of punctuation, and generally aren’t used in casual reference or writing. Transition words are required using this method if your secondary clause starts with a conjunctive adverb.
Colons are generally used to tie two independent clauses together, expanding on the first independent clause.
Example of semicolon (with transition word): Conor and Christina ate ice cream all the time; however, Conor always ate more.
Example of semicolon (without transition word): Tim and Rose like soccer; it’s always fun to play outside.
Example of colon: Anna had one thing to say: She loved video games the most.
You might choose to combine both clause types for many different reasons — the most common one being to create complex, well-rounded sentences.
Combining an independent clause with a dependent clause is simple. The process is governed by two primary rules:
Not sure which words to use to connect an independent and a dependent clause? Just remember: I SAW A WABUB. This is a fun acronym that’s represented by the words “if,” “since,” “as,” “when,””although,” “while,” “after,” “before,” “until,” and “because.”
DoodleEnglish is an app that’s filled with thousands of fun, interactive exercises covering grammar, punctuation, spelling and more!
Designed by teachers, it creates each child a unique work programme tailored to their needs, boosting their confidence and skills in English. Try it for free today!
People use “main clause” and “independent clause” synonymously. There are no differences between terms.
By definition, a complex sentence has a single independent clause and can have one or multiple dependent clauses.
You can choose to combine two independent clauses using four primary methods: A comma and coordinating conjunction comma, a semicolon, a colon, and a semicolon with a transition word.
An independent clause can stand on its own. A dependent clause is known as a “fragment,” and generally doesn’t provide enough information to make sense.
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