Meaning & use
independent clause
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Meaning
nouncountable
A group of words that has a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an independent clause' or 'two independent clauses.' It contrasts with a dependent clause, which cannot stand alone.
Patterns
- an independent clause
- two independent clauses
- join independent clauses
The sentence 'She reads every day' is an independent clause.
You can join two independent clauses with a semicolon.
A comma alone cannot correctly join two independent clauses.
Word forms
| plural | independent clauses |
|---|
Common combinations
- a main independent clause
- Every sentence must contain at least one main independent clause.
- join two independent clauses
- You can join two independent clauses with 'and' or a semicolon.
- an independent clause and a dependent clause
- A complex sentence has an independent clause and a dependent clause.
Synonyms and how they differ
- main clause
- The more common term in British schools; 'independent clause' is preferred in American grammar teaching.
- principal clause
- A formal, less common term for the same idea.
Opposites
Word family
- clause noun
- A group of words with a subject and a verb.
- independence noun
- The state of not being controlled by others.
- independent adjective
- Not depending on something else.
Commonly confused: independent clause or dependent clause?
independent clause vs dependent clause
A dependent clause also has a subject and verb but cannot stand alone; it needs an independent clause to complete the sentence.
Practice
Which of these is an independent clause?
Choose one answer.
'She closed the window' has a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence, so it is independent. The others begin with subordinating words (because, when, after) and cannot stand alone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “independent clause”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.