First remember that all clause must have a subject and verb.
Independent Clause
Let’s take a look at an example:
- The argument (subj) starts (verb)
- The turtle (subj) eats (verb).
- She (subj) plays (verb).
- The ship (subj) sinks (verb).
expresses a complete thought, so it’s an independent clause
Let’s create a sentence with adverbial phrase.
The argument starts when she takes my book.
independent clause (it could stand alone as a sentence) – The argument starts.
Dependent clause (is a dependent clause because it could not stand alone as a sentence.) – when she takes my book.
The secret of life is honesty.
If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.
dependent clause – If you can fake that
independent clause – you’ve got it made
How are they linked?
An independent clause is linked to a dependent clause with a subordinating conjunction.
common ones are:
- “after”
- “although”
- “as”
- “because”
- “before”
- “even if”
- “even though”
- “if”
- “provided”
- “rather than”
- “since”
- “so that”
- “than”
- “though”
- “unless”
- “until”
- “whether”
- “while”
- “how”
- “that”
- “what”
- “when”
- “where”
- “which”
- “who”
- “whom”
- “whose”
- “why”
- “whoever”
- “whosever”
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because it does not express a complete thought.
For example:
In the sentence
“The villagers lived happily until the wolves appeared.”
(“Until the wolves appeared” is an example of a dependent clause. It cannot stand alone as a sentence. “The villagers lived happily” is the main clause in this sentence. It is an example of an independent clause because it could stand alone as a sentence.)
A dependent clause supports the main clause of a sentence by adding to its meaning.
Like any clause, a dependent clause has a subject and a verb. In “until the wolves appeared,” the subject is “the wolves” and the verb is “appeared.”
More dependent clauses
…which had surfaced behind them.
…who went to court on Saturday.
…unless Peter helps.
…rather than how valuable it is.
Used as an adverbial clause
Three (subj) can keep (verb) a secret (obj) if two of them are dead.
We are in the adverb position and need to describe the ‘how’ for verb keep.
How? if two of them are dead.
Used as an adjective clause
A person (subj) who never made a mistake never tried (verb) anything (obj) new.
We are in the position of an adjective that describes a subject noun (A person).
Remember, a noun clause is dependent clause. (https://chineseruleof8.com/2024/01/02/noun-clauses/)
Hence, our dependent clause “who never made a mistake” is a noun clause, which acts as an adjective to describe “A person”.
A person who never made a mistake would then be our subject.
As noun clause
Dependent clause are noun clauses, which can be used as subjects or objects
What you are will show in what you do.