2. Independent and Dependent Clauses

The second thing you need to know is that there are two kinds of clauses – dependent and independent.  The way I remember this is that independent people can stand on their own two feet.  Dependent people need to lean on somebody.

Let’s look at some examples.

I drink coffee.
The baby cries.
The toy makes a jingling sound.

These clauses have a subject and a verb (can you name them?) and they make sense all by themselves.  These are independent clauses.

Let’s look at some more examples.

When I’m tired.
After she wakes up.
When it is shaken.

These clauses also have a subject and a verb but they don’t make sense all by themselves.  If I walk up to you and say, “When I’m tired” it doesn’t sound right.  It sounds like I haven’t finished my sentence.  That’s because these are dependent clauses.  They need to lean on independent clauses.

So let’s put them together and see if that works.

I drink coffee when I’m tired.
The baby cries after wakes up.
The toy makes a jingling sound when it is shaken.

Now everything makes sense because the dependent clauses are attached to the independent clauses. 

Dependent clauses begin with dependent word (or words) such as:

After
Although
As
As if
Because
Before
Even if
Even though
Ever since
How
If
In order that
Since
So that
Than
That
Though
Unless
Until
What
Whatever
When
Whenever
Where
Whereas
Wherever
Whether
Which
Whichever
While
Who
Whom
Whose
Why

The only thing that changes any of this is if these words start a question.

Example:  When is dinner ready?  Where is the car parked? Who is under the table?

If these words are part of questions everything is fine.


(Here is another great place to take a break.  Eat an avocado or lie down on the floor and play with your baby, cat or remote control.  Watch a little tv or stare out the window.  When you feel ready whether it is today or a week from today, come back and read the first sections over.  Ask yourself if you really understand them.  Practice finding dependent and independent clauses in anything you can find –whether it’s the tv guide, people magazine, or the New York Times.  When you feel ready, move on to section 3)

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