Independent and Dependent Clauses

​An independent clause has a subject and a predicate and can stand on its own as a sentence.

​A predicate is the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb and stating something about the subject

​My neighbor's dog | barked all night.

​subject

​predicate

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​also known as a subordinate clause, is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate but does not express a complete thought and cannot stand on its own as a sentence. That's why it is dependent on being combined with an independent clause.

​When my neighbor's dog barked all night...

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​Is a dependent clause because it does not complete the thought. It contains the same words as the complete sentence My neighbor's dog barked all night. However, because we added 'When', we need to complete the thought.

For example, When my neighbor's dog barked all night, I didn't get much sleep.

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1. down New Jersey Avenue

   is a dependent clause because it does not have a subject or verb.

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she takes my hand

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is an independent clause because it has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

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to begin my very first day of school

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​is a dependent clause because it does not have a subject or verb.

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long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother

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is a dependent clause because it doesn't complete the thought.

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Although this contains an independent clause, the phrase long before indicates that there is information missing from this sentence.

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and we set off

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is an independent clause.

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Even though it begins with a conjunction, the clause has a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

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on an otherwise unremarkable September morning

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is a dependent clause because it does not have a subject or a verb.

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On an otherwise unremarkable September morning, long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother, she takes my hand and we set off down New Jersey Avenue to begin my very first day of school.