Independent and
Dependent Clauses
What is the difference?
How can we find them?
When do we use them?
Independent Clauses
 Think of the Declaration of Independence!
What did the colonists want? Independence
from Great Britain! We wanted to be able to
STAND ON OUR OWN!
 Independent clauses CAN
STAND ON THEIR OWN! They
are complete sentences on their
own!
Examples of
Independent Clauses:
 They lived on the
 Computers are
tiny island
 Our friends were
extremely terrified
 Their car was
demolished
wonderful tools
 The calendar needs
to be updated
 Mrs. Jackson will
have our grades
online
Dependent Clauses
 Dependent clauses do not make sense
if they stand alone. They begin with a
subordinating conjunction (if, so, when,
after, because, before, while, until,
since, etc.)
 Dependent clauses CANNOT
STAND ALONE! They require
HELP!!!
Examples of Dependent
Clauses
 Since she was
 While we are
late to school
today
 Until we win the
big game
 After she travels
to Europe
speeding down
the interstate
 When I go to my
old elementary
school
 If you like
anchovies on
your pizza
Compound
Sentences
 Compound sentences are formed when
two independent clauses are joined
with a comma and a conjunction (for,
and, nor, but, or, yet, or so)
 The two dogs barked at us viciously,
so we quickly rode away from them!
Complex
Sentences
 Complex sentences are formed when
one dependent clause and one
independent clause are joined.
 When I watch a football game, I get
very loud sometimes.
 I get very loud sometimes when I
watch a football game.
Compound or Complex???
Her father went to
the fall festival, and
he won the most
candy bars!
After we go to
Kroger, we need to
stop at the gas
station.
My father enjoys
farming because he
has always been a
hard worker.
Since he turned in
the project late, his
grade was lowered
to a C.
Our class
accumulated the
most points, so we
were awarded an
extra recess.
I will go to the movie
before I go shopping
next weekend.
While he attends the Their dog licked their
football game, I am
face, but they didn’t
going to go
seem to mind!
shopping.
She wasn’t the
fastest runner, yet
she crossed the
finish line first!