To hear a presentation on this lesson click here   Lecture:  Dependent and Independent Clauses and the Complex Sentence   Complex sentences are sentences made up of an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.  But, what are these clauses?   Before we discuss complex sentences, we must review the definition of a clause:  A clause is a group of related words that contains a subject and a verb.   There are two types of clauses:  independent and dependent.  An independent clause is like a simple sentence.  It can stand alone.  We do not need any other information to understand what an independent clause means.      S V   Example 1:     I love to shop   A dependent clause, on the other hand, is a clause that is incomplete.  It must be attached to an independent clause to be understood.                                                   S V   Example 2:  as long as   I can buy something             In the first example we know the Subject is understood.  The second example needs more information because the introductory phrase as long as is related to something that is not in this clause.  Dependent clauses always begin with a word or phrase called a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun (some examples are:  which, that, as long as, because, where, if, etc).  The subordinating conjunction tells us that the dependent clause is dependent on another clause (in other words, it needs another clause) to make sense.  For a clearer picture, look at the next example:       Example 3:  I love to shop as long as I can buy something. This sentence combines the two clauses.  Notice that the second clause (the dependent clause) now makes sense because it is attached to the first clause (independent clause).   This is a complex sentence.  So, a complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.       REVIEW:  A clause has a subject and a verb.  An independent clause is a complete thought.  No other information is necessary for it to make sense.  A dependent clause begins with a subordinating conjunction and does not make sense without more information.  In other words, a dependent clause cannot stand alone.

 

Exercises   #1   Click here for Activity 1:   Determine which of the following clauses are independent and which are dependent When you finish, close the new window and continue to the next exercise   #2 Read the paragraph below. Click on 9 dependent clauses. These dependent clauses are inside of independent clauses. They are adjective, adverb, or noun clauses. After you find each one, read to see what kind of clause it is.               #3   Click here for Activity 3:  Look at the highlighted clauses and determine whether they are Noun Clauses, Adverb Clauses, or Adjective Clauses. When you finish, close the new window and continue to the next screen.