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What is an independent clause? All you need to know about independent clauses

Independent clause is one of the common English structures in foreign language acquisition and daily communication. Once you grasp independent clauses, creating compound sentences becomes simpler, which can help boost your score in IELTS speaking and writing or other foreign language tests.

What is an independent clause? All you need to know about independent clauses
What is an independent clause? All you need to know about independent clauses

I. What is an independent clause?

Dependent and independent clauses are 2 main types of clauses that form a sentence. To differentiate between independent and dependent clauses, let’s join PREP to discover the definition as well as the usage of independent clauses.

Independent clauses express a complete idea, play the role of a single sentence, or become a part of a multi-clause sentence.

An independent clause contains two main elements: a subject that performs the action and a predicate (a verb and other accompanying information) that describes the action or state of the subject.

Below are some examples of independent clauses: 

  • My little sister loves Blackpink. 
  • The little cat wants to play with the ball.
What is an independent clause?
What is an independent clause?

II. How to combine 2 independent clauses in English

Every independent clause can stand alone as a simple sentence when it's on its own. When we link independent clauses, they combine to create a compound sentence. How do we connect independent clauses to create this compound structure? There are three methods to join two independent clauses together:

  • Semicolon
  • Coordinators  
  • Conjunctive adverbs

Let's take a closer look at the detailed usages of independent clauses.

1. Combine two independent clauses with a semicolon

Two independent clauses can combine to create a compound sentence by a semicolon. The general structure is as follows:

Independent clause 1 ; + Independent clause 2

Note: When you want to combine 2 independent clauses, use a semicolon (;) instead of a comma (,). Otherwise, improper punctuation in a complex sentence can lead to comma splices.

Examples: 

  • The ocean is crystal-clear; the sky is blue.
  • My cat eats a lot; she asks for food every 2 hours.

2. Combine two independent clauses by a coordinator 

Coordinators combine two or more than two words, phrases or independent clauses into compound sentences. In such sentences, the verbs of two clauses that need combining have the same structure.

Combine two independent clauses by a coordinator
Combine two independent clauses by a coordinator

Here are the 7 basic coordinators in English that PREP wants students to be familiar with:

Coordinator 

Usage

Structure

Example

And

When two people, events, or things are mentioned as of equal importance and happening simultaneously, "and" is used to connect one part to another part.

Independent clause 1, + and + independent clause 2.

Alex likes milk tea, and Mikey likes lemonade.

Nor

When you want to add a negative idea after the intention of the previous clause 

Independent clause 1 (negative form), + nor + independent clause 2 (negative form, inversion.)

I have never read that book, nor do I plan to do it.

But

The word but is added between two clauses to show the contrast and opposition of those two clauses.

Independent clause 1, + but + independent clause 2.

I like to play football, but I am not fast enough.

For

When "for" is used within a sentence containing two independent clauses, it indicates the cause or reason for something.

Independent clause 1, + for + independent clause 2.

The plant in the garden died, for Mary forgot to water it.

Or

The conjunction "or" is used to connect two clauses when you want to offer a choice between one of two things.

Independent clause 1, + or + independent clause 2.

We could have a dish of fish for dinner, or we could have beefsteak. 

So

The word "so" is used in a sentence with two clauses to indicate that the second clause is the result of the first clause.

Independent clause 1, + so + independent clause 2.

Mary is sick, so she needs more sleep than usual.

Yet

"Yet" also carries a similar meaning to "but", however it conveys a sense of contrast that is somewhat more surprising.

Independent clause 1, + yet + independent clause 2.

He has tried her best, yet he still did not succeed.

3. Combine two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb

Conjunctive adverbs play the role of connecting two independent clauses together and help semantically link the two clauses. The general structure used to connect two clauses using a conjunctive adverb is:

Independent clause 1; conjunctive adverb, independent clause 2.

When using conjunctive adverbs to join two independent clauses, it's important to remember that a semicolon (;) should come before the conjunctive adverb and a comma (,) should follow it.

Conjunctive adverbs

Usage

Example

Accordingly, As a result, Consequently, Hence, Therefore, Thus

Show the result of something

Henry’s work brought poor performance; as a result, he lost his job.

Comparatively, Equally, Likewise, Similarly.

Compare something (always of equality) in two independent clauses

The Empire State Building is an iconic landmark in New York City; similarly, the Eiffel Tower is a renowned symbol of Paris.

On the other hand, In contrast, In comparison, However, Conversely, Rather, Instead.

Show the contrast between the 2 clauses

Timothy is good at studying; in contrast, his little brother is good at playing sports.

Also, In addition 

The latter clause adds information to the former.

Lily has all the ingredients to make this cake; also, she has a good oven. 

Further, Furthermore, Moreover

Emphasize on adding supplemental information to the preceding clause, while the information that follows implied as more informative than what came before.

Laura is pretty; moreover, she is rich. 

III. Common errors when using independent clauses

When putting the theory of independent clauses into practice in writing, students still commonly make a few inevitable errors. Let's go over some of the most common mistakes together with PREP:

1. Comma splice

Connecting two independent clauses with a comma is known as a comma splice. You can often fix it by changing the comma (,) to a period (.) to make each clause its own complete sentence. Or you can add a conjunctive adverb between the two independent clauses to properly connect them. For example:

  • Wrong sentence: I like this movie, it is very interesting.
  • Correction:
    • I like this movie. It is very interesting. 
    • I like this movie because it is very interesting. 
Comma splice
Comma splice

2. Improper Clause Combination

Improper clause combinations occur when two independent clauses are not separated by any type of punctuation mark. This error can sometimes be fixed by adding a period, semicolon, or rewriting the clauses as a compound or complex sentence. For example:

  • Wrong sentence: My brother is intelligent I’ve learned a lot from him.
  • Correction:
    • My brother is intelligent. I’ve learned a lot from him.
    • My brother is intelligent; moreover, I’ve learned a lot from him.

IV. Exercises on independent clauses

To memorize independent clauses’ usage and categorization, let’s practice by the following exercise on dependent and independent clauses.

Exercise: Identify the errors in the following sentences:

  • Jane will make some cakes, we arrive.
  • Alex could not read the news clearly he took out his glasses.
  • They were having breakfast, the children were playing outside.
  • I could not travel in the morning, the weather was bad.
  • Mary decides to do something you will not change her mind.

Keys:

  • Comma splice. Correction: Jane will make some cake when we arrive.
  • Improper Clause Combination. Correction: Alex could not read the news clearly so he took out his glasses.
  • Comma splice. Correction: While they were having breakfast, the children were playing outside.
  • Comma splice. Correction: I could not travel in the morning because the weather was bad.
  • Improper Clause Combination. Correction: Once Mary decides to do something, you will not change her mind.

The information mentioned above is what PREP aims to share about independent clauses. Besides, you may refer to other common structures to have a solid foundation for learning and communication.

CEO Tú Phạm
Master Tu Pham
Founder/CEO at Prep
Mr. Tú Phạm is the founder of PREP, a Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of teaching and test preparation experience, he has assisted thousands of students in achieving high scores on the IELTS exam. Additionally, Mr. Tú Phạm serves as a consultant for British Council programs and as a speaker at numerous premier education events, programs, and seminars.
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