Independent and Subordinate Clauses Lesson With Examples

Lesson Overview

• What Is a Clause?
• What Is an Independent Clause?
• What Is a Subordinate Clause?
• Key Characteristics of a Subordinate Clause
• Examples of Subordinate Clause
• Subordinate Clauses in Different Sentence Structures
• How to Identify a Subordinate Clause
• Common Mistakes with Subordinate Clauses
• Why Are Subordinate Clauses Important?

Understanding independent and subordinate clauses is key to writing clear and effective sentences. An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone, while a subordinate clause depends on an independent clause for meaning. 

Knowing the difference helps avoid sentence fragments, create complex sentences, and improve writing clarity. In this lesson, we'll learn to identify and use both types of clauses correctly to strengthen our writing.

What Is a Clause?

A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb and forms the foundation of a sentence. Every sentence is made up of at least one clause, but not all clauses can stand alone as complete sentences.

Key Characteristics of a Clause:

• It has a subject, which tells who or what the sentence is about.
• It has a verb, which describes an action or state of being.
• It can function as either a complete sentence or as part of a larger sentence.

Examples of Clauses:

• "The dog barked." (Subject: The dog, Verb: barked. This is a complete thought.)
• "Because it was raining." (Subject: it, Verb: was raining. This is not a complete thought.)

What Is an Independent Clause?

An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence because it does not rely on any other clause for meaning. Independent clauses are also called main clauses because they form the core of a sentence.

Characteristics of an Independent Clause:

• It has a subject (who or what the sentence is about).
• It has a verb (an action or state of being).
• It expresses a complete thought and does not require additional information.
• It can function as a simple sentence or be combined with other clauses to form complex or compound sentences.

Examples of Independent Clauses:

• "The cat slept on the couch."
  
  • Subject: The cat
  • Verb: slept
  • Complete Thought: The sentence is understandable on its own.
    
• "She enjoys reading books."
  
  • Subject: She
  • Verb: enjoys
  • Complete Thought: The sentence provides full meaning. 
    
• "We will go to the park tomorrow."
  
  • Subject: We
  • Verb: will go
  • Complete Thought: The sentence can stand alone.

Independent Clauses in Different Sentence Types:

An independent clause can function in different types of sentences:

1. As a Simple Sentence (One Independent Clause):

A simple sentence consists of just one independent clause.

Example:

• "The sun is shining."
• "They finished their homework."

2. As Part of a Compound Sentence (Two or More Independent Clauses):

Two or more independent clauses can be joined using coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so, for, yet).

Example:

• "I wanted to play outside, but it started to rain."
  
  • First Independent Clause: "I wanted to play outside."
  • Second Independent Clause: "It started to rain."
  • Coordinating Conjunction: but
• "She studied hard, and she passed the test."
  
  • First Independent Clause: "She studied hard."
  • Second Independent Clause: "She passed the test."
  • Coordinating Conjunction: and

3. As Part of a Complex Sentence (With a Subordinate Clause):

A complex sentence consists of an independent clause combined with a subordinate (dependent) clause.

Example:

• "Although it was raining, we went for a walk."
  • Independent Clause: "We went for a walk." (Can stand alone)
  • Subordinate Clause: "Although it was raining." (Cannot stand alone)

Common Mistakes with Independent Clauses:

Sentence Fragments: If a sentence lacks an independent clause, it is incomplete and becomes a fragment.

• Incorrect: "Because I was tired." (Needs an independent clause to complete the thought.)
• Correct: "Because I was tired, I went to bed early."

Run-on Sentences: If two independent clauses are joined incorrectly without proper punctuation or conjunctions, the sentence becomes a run-on.

• Incorrect: "She loves to read she visits the library often."
• Correct: "She loves to read, so she visits the library often."

Why Are Independent Clauses Important?

• They help form clear, complete sentences.
• They allow writers to create different sentence structures, making writing more engaging.
• They provide flexibility by combining with other clauses to create compound and complex sentences.

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What Is a Subordinate Clause?

A subordinate clause, also known as a dependent clause, is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence because it depends on an independent clause to provide full meaning. A subordinate clause adds extra information to a sentence, such as time, reason, condition, or description.

Key Characteristics of a Subordinate Clause

• A subordinate clause contains a subject, which is the person, place, or thing performing the action.
• It includes a verb, which describes the action or state of being of the subject.
• It does not express a complete thought, meaning it leaves the reader expecting more information.
• It must be connected to an independent clause to form a complete sentence.
• It cannot stand alone as a sentence because it depends on additional information for meaning.

Examples of Subordinate Clause

1. Time Clauses (Tell When Something Happens)

• "When the bell rang" (What happened when the bell rang? We need more information.)
• "Before she left for school" (What happened before she left? The thought is incomplete.)

Complete Sentence:

• "When the bell rang, the students packed up their bags."
• "Before she left for school, she ate breakfast."

2. Reason Clauses (Explain Why Something Happened)

• "Because I was late" (What happened because you were late? The idea is unfinished.)
• "Since we had no money" (What did we do since we had no money?)

Complete Sentence:

• "Because I was late, I missed the bus."
• "Since we had no money, we stayed home."

3. Condition Clauses (Show What Must Happen First)

• "If you study hard" (What will happen if you study hard? The thought is incomplete.)
• "Unless you apologize" (What will happen unless you apologize?)

Complete Sentence:

• "If you study hard, you will pass the exam."
• "Unless you apologize, she won't forgive you."

4. Contrast Clauses (Show Differences or Surprises)

• "Although it was raining" (What happened despite the rain? We need more.)
• "Even though she was tired" (What did she do even though she was tired?)

Complete Sentence:

• "Although it was raining, we went outside."
• "Even though she was tired, she finished her homework."

5. Relative Clauses (Describe a Noun)

• "Who won the race" (Who won the race? The idea is incomplete.)
• "That I borrowed from the library" (What did I borrow? We need a complete sentence.)

Complete Sentence:

• "The girl who won the race is my friend."
• "The book that I borrowed from the library is interesting."

Subordinate Clauses in Different Sentence Structures

Subordinate clauses can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence:

1. Beginning Position:

When the subordinate clause comes first, it is followed by a comma.
Example: "Because it was cold, we wore jackets."

2. Middle Position:

A subordinate clause can be inserted within an independent clause.
Example: "The book that I borrowed from the library is fascinating."

3. End Position:

When the subordinate clause comes after the independent clause, no comma is needed.
Example: "We stayed inside because it was raining."

How to Identify a Subordinate Clause

The "Stand Alone" Test

Ask yourself: Can this clause stand alone as a complete sentence?

Yes? → Independent Clause
No? → Subordinate Clause

Example:

• "She ran to the store." → Can stand alone → Independent Clause
• "because she was hungry." → Needs more → Subordinate Clause

Look for Subordinating Words

Subordinate clauses often begin with subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions:

• because, if, when, since, although, after, before, unless, while

Common Relative Pronouns:

• that, who, whom, which, whose

Example:

• "Because the power went out..." → Incomplete → Subordinate Clause

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Common Mistakes with Subordinate Clauses

1. Sentence Fragments

If a subordinate clause is left alone without an independent clause, it creates a sentence fragment.

Incorrect:

• "Because I was tired." (This is not a complete sentence.)

Correct:

• "Because I was tired, I went to bed early."

2. Run-on Sentences

If a subordinate clause is not properly connected, it can cause run-on sentences.

Incorrect:

• "She was hungry she ate quickly." (Two clauses are jammed together without proper punctuation.)

Correct:

• "Because she was hungry, she ate quickly."

Why Are Subordinate Clauses Important?

• They add depth and detail to sentences.
• They allow writers to combine ideas smoothly instead of using short, choppy sentences.
• They help express cause and effect, time relationships, conditions, and descriptions.
• They improve sentence variety, making writing more engaging and sophisticated.