Dependent and independent clauses | Syntax | Khan Academy

Summary

This video lesson explores the difference between dependent and independent clauses in English grammar. Independent clauses can stand alone as sentences, containing a subject and a verb. Dependent clauses also have a subject and a verb but require an independent clause to form a complete sentence due to the presence of subordinating conjunctions like 'because' or 'while.' Through examples, the video highlights how recognizing and combining these clauses can improve writing skills, adding clarity and structure to sentences. The hosts emphasize mastering these concepts for effective writing.

Takeaways

• 📚 Dependent and independent clauses are important to understand for mastering grammar and improving writing skills.
• 📝 An independent clause is essentially a complete sentence with a subject and a verb, capable of standing on its own.
• 🍍 Example of an independent clause: 'I ate the pineapple.'
• 🔗 A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence due to the presence of a subordinating conjunction.
• ⚠️ Example of a dependent clause: 'Because it was delicious.' It requires an independent clause to make sense.
• 🎯 Dependent clauses often start with words like 'because,' 'while,' 'unless,' or 'although,' indicating they rely on additional context.
• 🗣️ Sentence fragments, often dependent clauses, are common in casual speech but should be used carefully in formal writing.
• 💡 Independent clauses provide the main information, while dependent clauses offer extra details or background.
• 📖 Combining independent and dependent clauses can create richer, more complex sentences, improving clarity and detail.
• 🧩 Recognizing and understanding the difference between these clauses allows writers to skillfully craft varied and impactful sentences.

Q & A

What is an independent clause?

An independent clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that can stand alone as a sentence. For example, 'I ate the pineapple.'

What makes a clause dependent?

A clause becomes dependent when it cannot stand alone as a sentence. It includes a subject and a verb but is introduced by a subordinating conjunction, such as 'because' or 'while.'

Can a dependent clause function as a sentence in informal speech?

Yes, in informal speech, people often use dependent clauses as standalone utterances. For example, 'Because it was delicious.' However, in formal writing, this would be considered a sentence fragment.

Why is it important to distinguish between independent and dependent clauses?

Understanding the difference allows for better control over sentence structure, making writing stronger and more varied. It helps writers use clauses effectively for clarity and style.

What role do subordinating conjunctions play in a dependent clause?

Subordinating conjunctions like 'because,' 'while,' or 'although' make a clause dependent by linking it to an independent clause, indicating that the clause is providing additional information.

How does the example 'because it was delicious' function in the script?

This example demonstrates a dependent clause. Although it contains a subject and a verb, the subordinating conjunction 'because' makes it dependent, meaning it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

What is a relative pronoun, and how does it affect a clause?

A relative pronoun, such as 'that' in 'that she saw last night,' makes a clause dependent by referring back to something in the independent clause, like 'the monster' in this example.

Can a dependent clause provide background information?

Yes, dependent clauses often provide additional or background information to the main action of the sentence. For example, 'while the salmon flopped' adds context to 'the bear roared.'

What is an example of combining independent and dependent clauses?

An example would be, 'The bear roared while the salmon flopped.' Here, 'The bear roared' is the independent clause, and 'while the salmon flopped' is the dependent clause providing extra information.

Why is 'unless I'm mistaken' a dependent clause?

'Unless I'm mistaken' is a dependent clause because it starts with the subordinating conjunction 'unless,' making it reliant on another clause for complete meaning, such as 'That's not our pet rabbit, unless I'm mistaken.'

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Dependent and Independent Clauses

The voiceover begins by introducing dependent and independent clauses, noting that while this is an advanced grammar topic, it's important for improving writing skills. Mastery of these clauses can help strengthen sentences. An independent clause is explained as essentially a sentence, comprising a subject and a verb. For example, 'I ate the pineapple' is an independent clause. The script then transitions to asking what a dependent clause is.

05:03

🤔 What is a Dependent Clause?

Rosie explains that a dependent clause differs from an independent clause in that it cannot stand alone as a sentence, even though it contains a subject and a verb. For instance, 'because it was delicious' is a dependent clause, starting with the subordinating conjunction 'because,' which prevents it from being a full sentence. David acknowledges that such clauses are common in spoken English, especially in informal contexts, but emphasizes that sentence fragments are typically avoided in formal writing. The goal is to help viewers distinguish between the two clauses for stronger writing.

🎯 Examples of Dependent and Independent Clauses

David explains that a dependent clause often begins with subordinating conjunctions such as 'because' or 'while,' which make it reliant on an independent clause. For example, 'It was delicious' is a sentence, but 'Because it was delicious' becomes a dependent clause. They further clarify that dependent clauses need an independent clause to make a complete sentence. This concept is reinforced with more examples of independent clauses such as 'The bear roared' and dependent ones like 'While the salmon flopped,' showing how they can be combined to form a complete thought.

🔗 Combining Clauses for Clarity

The discussion continues with the combination of dependent and independent clauses, such as 'The bear roared while the salmon flopped.' This shows how the independent clause can provide the main action, while the dependent clause adds additional, often background, information. The examples highlight that dependent clauses need context from an independent clause to be understood. Without the independent clause, dependent clauses like 'While the salmon flopped' make less sense, emphasizing the dependent nature of these clauses.

🧩 The Role of Subordinating Conjunctions and Pronouns

Rosie and David illustrate how subordinating conjunctions like 'while' or relative pronouns like 'that' make clauses dependent by linking them to something else. Examples include 'Maureen pointed out the monster,' which is an independent clause, and 'that she saw last night,' which depends on the previous clause for clarity. They explain how the structure of dependent clauses requires additional information to complete the sentence, making them reliant on independent clauses for full meaning.

🎓 Final Thoughts on Clauses and Writing Mastery

The video concludes with a recap: independent clauses contain a subject and verb and can stand alone as sentences, while dependent clauses also have a subject and verb but require a subordinating conjunction, making them unable to stand alone. David reiterates that mastering the difference between these two clause types is essential for becoming a skilled writer. The lesson ends with the familiar sign-off, 'You can learn anything,' encouraging viewers to continue improving their grammar skills.

Keywords

💡Independent clause

An independent clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that can stand alone as a sentence. In the video, examples like 'I ate the pineapple' and 'The bear roared' are used to explain how independent clauses form complete thoughts. The video emphasizes that understanding independent clauses is essential for building strong, clear sentences.

💡Dependent clause

A dependent clause also has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. The video explains that a dependent clause often starts with a subordinating conjunction like 'because,' 'while,' or 'unless.' For example, 'because it was delicious' is a dependent clause, as it relies on additional information to make sense.

💡Subordinating conjunction

Subordinating conjunctions are words that connect a dependent clause to an independent clause, signaling a relationship between them. Words like 'because,' 'while,' and 'unless' are subordinating conjunctions that introduce background information or conditional statements, as shown in examples like 'because it was delicious.' These conjunctions are essential for creating complex sentences.

💡Sentence fragment

A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not form a complete sentence, often because it is a dependent clause standing alone. The video uses the phrase 'because it was delicious' to illustrate how dependent clauses, when isolated, create sentence fragments, which are more common in informal speech than formal writing.

💡Subject

In grammar, the subject is the person or thing performing the action in a sentence. The video shows how every clause, whether independent or dependent, must contain a subject, as in 'I' in 'I ate the pineapple' or 'the bear' in 'The bear roared.' Understanding subjects is critical to constructing proper clauses.

💡Verb

A verb is a word that expresses an action or state of being. The video highlights that both independent and dependent clauses must have verbs, such as 'ate' in 'I ate the pineapple' and 'flopped' in 'while the salmon flopped.' Verbs are essential in forming complete thoughts in sentences.

💡Relative pronoun

A relative pronoun introduces a dependent clause and relates it to a noun in the independent clause. In the video, 'that' is used as a relative pronoun in the sentence 'Maureen pointed out the monster that she saw last night.' The dependent clause 'that she saw last night' adds information about the noun 'monster.'

💡Formal writing

Formal writing refers to a style of writing that follows strict grammatical rules and avoids casual language. The video stresses that while sentence fragments are common in speech, they are less acceptable in formal writing, where complete sentences and a clear distinction between independent and dependent clauses are necessary.

💡Background information

Background information refers to details in a sentence that provide context but are not essential to the main idea. The video uses the example 'while the salmon flopped' as background information to the independent clause 'The bear roared.' Dependent clauses often provide such supporting details.

💡Comma

A comma is a punctuation mark used to separate clauses and clarify meaning. The video points out the need for a comma in sentences like 'That's not our pet rabbit, unless I'm mistaken,' where the dependent clause 'unless I'm mistaken' is connected to the independent clause, ensuring clarity.

Highlights

Introduction to dependent and independent clauses, with an emphasis on how mastering them can make you a stronger writer.

An independent clause is essentially a sentence that has a subject and a verb and can stand alone.

Example of an independent clause: 'I ate the pineapple.' This sentence has a subject ('I') and a verb ('ate the pineapple').

A dependent clause also has a subject and a verb, but cannot stand alone as a sentence. It often starts with a subordinating conjunction like 'because' or 'while.'

Example of a dependent clause: 'Because it was delicious.' This cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Sentence fragments, including dependent clauses, are common in informal speech but are less accepted in formal writing.

The importance of learning to differentiate between dependent and independent clauses for better writing choices in formal American English.

Use of subordinating conjunctions like 'because,' 'although,' or 'while' turns an independent clause into a dependent clause.

Example of a dependent clause: 'While the salmon flopped.' This clause requires an independent clause to form a complete sentence.

Independent clause example: 'The bear roared.' This sentence stands alone and makes sense.

A dependent clause like 'While the salmon flopped' provides background information and needs an independent clause to give it context.

Another example of an independent clause: 'Maureen pointed out the monster.' This clause is complete on its own.

The phrase 'That she saw last night' is a dependent clause because it needs an independent clause (in this case, 'the monster') to make sense.

The subordinating conjunction 'unless' makes 'Unless I’m mistaken' a dependent clause, needing additional context from an independent clause.

Final reminder: an independent clause can be a sentence, while a dependent clause cannot stand alone and requires an independent clause for clarity.

Transcripts

- [Voiceover] Hello, grammarians.

Hello, Rosie.

- [Voiceover] Hello, David.

- [Voiceover] We're gonna talk about dependent

and independent clauses.

Full disclosure, this is a relatively advanced

part of grammar, but it is important to understand,

because mastering dependent and independent clauses

and being able to say

why a clause is dependent or independent

will help you become a better writer,

will help you become a stronger writer,

and give your sentences vim and vigor and strength.

So with all that out of the way.

Let's start with independent clauses,

because an independent clause is basically a sentence.

We established previously that all a clause is

is just a collection of phrases with a subject and a verb.

So, for example, the sentence, I ate the pineapple, period,

is an independent clause.

So, it's a couple of phrases, we've got this noun phrase I,

we've got this verb phrase ate the pineapple,

and together that becomes a subject

and verb or a predicate.

So, Rosie, what is a dependent clause?

- [Voiceover] So dependent clause is different

from an independent clause in that

it can't stand on its own as a sentence.

So it includes a subject and a verb,

but it can't be its own sentence.

And sometimes it might look like a sentence,

it could start with something

like a subordinating conjunction, like the word because,

for example, because it was delicious.

- [Voiceover] Okay.

And let's be clear here, you know,

obviously, this is an utterance that people say.

You know, if you ask me why did you eat the pizza,

I would respond by saying, because it was delicious.

Why do we climb the mountain?

Because it is there, you know.

I'm not saying that this is not,

not an utterance that is made

by native speaking English speakers.

It is, of course it is.

But you have to be aware that it is a dependent clause

and therefore a sentence fragment.

And part of natural informal speech

is that we do use a lot of sentence fragments.

And sentence fragments are not as common

in formal writing.

You may sometimes use them for effect,

but I want you to remember that these videos are

about standard American English,

and a kind of formal version of standard American English.

And so, we're trying to teach you to distinguish

between independent and dependent clauses

so that you can use them skillfully

in the full knowledge and mastery of your choices.

You gotta learn your scales before you can improvise.

- [Voiceover] Right.

- [Voiceover] Dig?

- [Voiceover] Dig.

- [Voiceover] So because it was delicious, not a sentence.

This is a dependent clause, because it begins

with this subordinating conjunction because.

You could also work in something like although,

or while, and any of these would make it a dependent clause.

Now, if it was just on its own, it was delicious,

yeah, of course, that is a sentence.

The part that makes it dependent is

this subordinating conjunction.

You put that onto the front of it

and all of a sudden it needs an independent clause

to lean up against.

I know this is confusing, so let's take a look

at a couple more examples

of independent and dependent clauses.

So, the following are independent clauses, Rosie.

- [Voiceover] The bear roared.

Maureen pointed out the monster.

That's not our pet rabbit.

- [Voiceover] And let's do some dependent clauses,

and then you can see

that we'll be able to combine them into sentences.

- [Voiceover] While the salmon flopped.

That she saw last night.

Unless I'm mistaken.

- [Voiceover] So you can see that these are all clauses,

right, we've established that, you know,

each one has a subject and a verb.

The bear roared, the salmon flopped.

But all of these have some kind of,

everything in orange has something

that's either a subordinating conjunction

like while or unless, or a relative pronoun like that.

So while the salmon flopped.

You can see in this context

the bear roared while the salmon flopped,

you can kind of understand why this is called

the dependent clause, because by the context

of this sentence, while the salmon flopped,

something else was going on, right.

This is kind of like background information.

And it's in fact not necessary

for comprehending the first sentence or the first clause,

the independent clause, the bear roared.

And if we did combine these, you would realize

that the salmon flopped is just background information.

- [Voiceover] Right.

- [Voiceover] Right.

But we need to know what else is going on

for there to be a while.

- [Voiceover] So the bear roared

is a perfectly sensical sentence on its own.

- [Voiceover] Right.

- [Voiceover] And while the salmon flopped is providing us

with this extra information.

The bear is roaring while the salmon flopped.

But if we were just to see the sentence

while the salmon flopped on its own,

like say, we didn't have the bear roared,

it would make less sense.

- [Voiceover] Right, because the presence of this word while

indicates that something else is also going on,

that's what makes it dependent.

So we need to have the bear roared.

Likewise, Maureen pointed out the monster,

that sentence works fine on its own.

That she saw last night, sure there's a subject

and there's a verb, she and saw, right,

she saw something, she saw that,

but this relative pronoun needs to refer back to something,

and that makes it dependent on the monster.

So this last one's a little tricky, right,

because you might be looking and saying,

well, unless I'm mistaken, where's the verb?

Well, the verb is kind of hiding in here.

So unless I am mistaken, right.

So, the presence of this subordinating conjunction unless

makes this into a dependent clause.

So unless means it's kind of hinging

on some other information.

So the other information is that's not our pet rabbit,

unless I'm mistaken.

I feel that there should be a comma here,

so I'm gonna put one in.

That's not our pet rabbit, unless I'm mistaken.

I hope this has cleared some stuff up.

So an independent clause is a subject and a verb

and it can be a sentence.

A dependent clause is a subject and a verb,

but also a subordinating conjunction

and it cannot be a sentence.

You can learn anything, David out.

- [Voiceover] Rosie out.