Dependent and Independent Clauses

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Writing Workshop

Independent•What does this word mean to you?

Independent Clauses•=a clause that can stand alone as a sentence.• Independent clauses have three components:• They have a subject- they tell the reader what the sentence is about • They have an action or predicate- they tell the reader what the subject is doing (What is _____ doing?)• They express a complete thought- something happened or was said. (What happened?)

• The cat was fat.•We walk to school.•My favorite color is purple.• That’s funny.

A dependent clause is a clause that is lacking either a subject or an action, or does not express a complete thought.Dependent Clauses = a clause that can NOT stand alone as a sentence. Look for marker words.

A clause can be dependent because of the presence of a:Marker Word (Before, after, because, since, in order to, although, though, whenever, wherever, whether, while, even though, even if, etc.)  Conjunction (And, or, nor, but, yet)

•when the cake is done baking.•when I discovered it symbolized royalty.• because he eats entirely too much.• after I get my shoes on

SEARCH AND DESTROY

•Now, go through your fluency writing and look for fragments. Highlight anything that you think may be an incorrect sentence fragment—meaning it isn’t a complete thought.

Identify• Running through the forest.

• Excitedly hurrying down the hall.

• Jenny fell down the stairs.

•When I woke up.

• Yesterday I fell.

• Sometimes I wish on a star.

Simple Sentences – It’s simple! • Only an independent clause.

• My dog ran fast.

• I broke my elbow.

• My favorite color is purple.

Compound sentence = two independent clauses•…In order to join two complete thoughts (independent clauses), you have to have a comma with a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.

• My dog is extremely insane, but Ms. O’Brien’s dog is calm.

• My favorite color is purple; John’s favorite color is red.

• Sometimes I like to run in circles, and I always sprain my ankle.

Complex Sentences = 1 independent + 1 dependent• The dependent portion can be at the beginning or end of the sentence.

• Although Tom reads novels, Jack reads comics.

• Jack reads comics although Tom reads novels.

Compound Complex= 2 independent + 1 independent

Thank-You Letters

• In your letter to Hillyard Technical Center, please include the following types of sentences:

• Simple• Complex• Compound• Compound Complex