How to identify dependent and independent clauses

Status
Not open for further replies.

RobertT

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Indonesian
Home Country
Indonesia
Current Location
Australia
Hi teachers,

I'd like to ask, how to differentiate the dependent from the independent clause of a sentence.

Thank you.
 
Last edited:

TheParser

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Hi teachers,

I'd like to ask, how to differentiate the dependent from the independent clause of a sentence.

Thank you.

NOT A TEACHER

(1) Just as a child is dependent on his/her parents, so is

a dependent (subordinate) clause "dependent" on an independent

clause.

(2) The dependent clauses are in bold:

I want to eat because I am hungry.

I know that you did it.

The woman whom I marry must know how to cook.

(a) As you can see, those subordinate clauses depend on the

independent clauses to make sense. If you walked up to someone

on the street and said, "Because I am hungry," that stranger would

think that you were "crazy." But if you said, "I want to eat because I

am hungry," the stranger would understand you completely.

(b) You also notice that dependent clauses are often introduced by

conjunctions such as because and that. Whom is called a relative

pronoun.

(3) You can also drop a dependent clause, and the sentence is still

"good" English. For example, if I drop the three subordinate clauses

above, I get:

I am hungry.

I know.

The woman must know how to cook.

Grammatically speaking, those three sentences (without a subordinate

clause) are "good" English.
 

RobertT

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Indonesian
Home Country
Indonesia
Current Location
Australia
That makes sense, thank you!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top