Independent clause masterclass

This lesson helps us understand everything about an independent clause in English.

What is a Clause in English?

A clause is a group of words that has at least one subject and a predicate. It can be independent (one that renders a complete meaning on its own) or dependent (one that depends on an independent clause as it is incomplete alone).

1. He came to see me.
2. Though he was ill.

The first clause is an independent clause as it gives a complete idea on its own, and the second one is a dependent clause. It does not give a complete idea.

He came to see me though he was ill .

What is an Independent Clause in English?

Independent Clause Definition : an independent clause is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate in it and gives a complete idea. In other words, it is a complete sentence. It does not depend on anything to render a complete meaning as a dependent clause does.

Your friend Riya loves me.

This is an example of an independent clause. It has a subject and a predicate and gives complete meaning on its own.

More examples of an Independent Clause

• I love you.
• Everything is possible.
• All of us would like to work with you.
• The story of the book is complex to understand.
• There has never been a better opportunity to start our own business.
• Life is simple.
• You know me better than my own family.

Independent clause and compound sentence

A compound sentence is a combination of two independent clauses added with a coordinating conjunction. Here are the 7 coordinating conjunctions in English: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so (FANBOYS).

I love my students, and I want to see the do well in life.

Independent clause 1 : I love my students
Independent clause 2: I want to see the do well in life
Coordinating conjunction : and

Notice both clauses are complete and give a proper meaning separately.

More examples:

• I want to help you, but I don’t have money.
• The company was facing huge losses, so it cut off some employees.
• Simran did not come to the office, for she had a high fever.
• He had so many friends, yet nobody helped him.
• The food was delicious, and everyone finished it within a minute.

Independent clause vs Dependent clause

A dependent clause is contrary to an independent clause, as the name suggests. It has a subject and a predicate but can’t stand alone to render a complete idea; it is incomplete without the help of an independent clause.

NOTE : a dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction, but an independent clause does not.

Examples :

• We need more money.
• We will give you this job.
• I would not speak to you.

Notice that all these sentences make sense alone as they are independent clauses, but dependent clauses don’t do that.

Examples :

• Because the project will shut down without it.
• If you pass the test.
• Until you apologize to Monica.

Notice these don’t make complete sense as they seem incomplete. In order to make sense of them, we have to merge them with independent clauses.

• We need more moneybecause the project will shut down without it.
  
• We will give you this jobif you pass the test.
  
• I would not speak to you until you apologize to Monica.

Notice that the independent clauses give complete meanings on their own and the dependent clauses work as an adverb for the independent clauses. They either work as adverbs or adjectives here. When dependent clauses are used in a sentence, they function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

Independent clause in complex sentences

A complex sentence is a combination of one or more dependent clauses and one independent clause. Let’s study some of them.

Examples :

• One should meditate daily if one wants to be mentally healthy.
• Don’t stop working until you attain your goals.
• When everyone sleeps, I start working .
• Before you judge someone, listen to their side properly .

The clause underlined in these examples is the independent clause, and the other part is the dependent clause.

A dependent clause can be a part of an independent clause

When a noun is replaced with a noun clause in a sentence, it makes the sentence complex.

You are who you think you are .

Here, in this example, the sentence has a subject (you), a linking verb (are), and a subject complement (who you think you are). Notice that the subject complement is a noun clause and is used in place of a noun. If we used a simple noun here, the sentence would be simple, and there would be only one clause (independent clause) in it. For example – You are a visionary.

Since the subject complement is a dependent clause (noun clause), it makes the sentence complex where the independent clause has a dependent clause in it.

‘You are’ is not a complete clause/sentence. So, the complement is needed to make it complete. Adding a complement to it makes it a complete sentence (independent clause). But since the complement itself is a dependent clause, and this is already an independent clause, it makes it a complex sentence: a combination of a dependent clause and an independent clause.

More examples:

• I am not thinking about what she said to me.
• You can be whatever you want to be.
• No one truly knows what you are capable of doing.
• I don’t want to talk about what happened last night.
• How you use this opportunity would decide your future in the company.
• They don’t believe in what you’re selling.

The dependent clauses (bold) are a part of the sentences (independent clauses). Removing them from the sentences would make the sentence incomplete as they are a vital part of them.

For a better understanding, try taking them out of the sentences and see if the sentences still make complete sense.

• I am not thinking about. (thinking about what?)
• You can be. (be what?
• No one truly knows. (no one knows what?)
• I don’t want to talk about. (talk about what?)
• would decide your future in the company. (what or who would do that?)
• They don’t believe in. (you don’t belive in what?

Notice that when we remove the dependent clauses from these independent clauses, the sentences stop giving the same meaning or making sense. It also depends on what a dependent clause does in a sentence. These examples don’t infer that removing a dependent clause from a sentence will result in making the sentence incomplete or ungrammatical.

I went to bed when you were having dinner .

The dependent clause, in this example, is a part of this sentence, working as an adverb. Removing it from the sentence would not make it incomplete or ungrammatical. Here is the result: ‘I went to bed’. Does the sentence not make complete sense after removing the dependent clause from it? It does, right? So, don’t come to the conclusion that removing a dependent clause from an independent clause or sentence will make it incomplete.

Position of an independent clause in a sentence

The position of an independent clause depends on the type of sentence it is. Let’s understand this with the help of a table showing it.

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