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Types of Clauses in English: Independent Clause & Dependent Clause

What are clauses in English? How are the different types of clauses in English classified? How can you apply types of clauses as accurately as possible when communicating and in exams such as IELTS, TOEIC, SAT, GMAT, and TOEFL iBT? Check out the article below together with PREP to find answers to these questions!

I. What are clauses in English?

What are clauses in English? A clause is the basic building block of grammar. A clause consists of a subject, a verb, and may optionally include additional elements such as a complement, an object, or an adjunct. For example:

I will buy it if it is on discount.
Yesterday I played games with my brother.

II. Types of Clauses in English

Let's learn about the different types of clauses in English together with PREP by looking at some examples below!

1. The first types of clauses in English - Independent Clause

What is an independent clause? An independent clause (also called a main clause) is a clause that contains a subject, a verb, and optionally other elements. Independent clauses express a complete thought and can stand on their own. For example:

My monitor is intelligent.
My mom is cooking.

2. The second types of clauses in English - Dependent Clause

A dependent clause is not a complete sentence even though it contains standard clause structure elements. Dependent clauses rely on an independent clause in the sentence to complete its meaning. Let's explore the meaning and usage of different dependent clauses together with PREP!

1. Noun Clause

What is a noun clause? If a dependent clause functions as a noun, it is called a noun clause. For example:

The best part of the film was when the boy flew. ➞ “The best part of the film” is a noun clause (functions as a subject).
I want to know what all the fuss is about. ➞“what all the fuss is about” is a noun clause (functions as an object).
Her statement that she found the money in the street will not be believed. ➞“that she found the money in the street” is a noun clause (functions as a complement).

2. Adverb Clause

What is an adverb clause? If a dependent clause functions as an adverb, it is called an adverb clause. Specifically, it modifies other elements in the sentence such as verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Preppies can learn some common types of adverb clauses below!

2.1. Concessive Clauses

What are concession clauses? A concessive clause is a dependent clause that expresses a contrasting idea or condition in opposition to the main clause.

Concessive clause	Example
Although	Although it was raining, my friends decided to go for a walk.
Even though	Even though Maria studied hard, she didn't perform well on the exam.
Though	Although the movie received mixed reviews, many people enjoyed it.
In spite of	In spite of the heavy traffic, they arrived at the airport on time.
Despite	Despite having a busy schedule, Alex managed to find time for his hobbies.
WH-ever	Whatever you decide, I'll support you.
No matter	No matter how hard Robert tried, he couldn't lift the heavy box.
However	However tired Anna was, she refused to take a break until the work was done.

2.2. Clauses of reason

What are the clauses of reason? Clauses of reason are used to explain the reason why something occurred or why someone did something.

Clauses of reason	Example
Because	Lenny stayed indoors because it was raining heavily.
As	As it was getting late, they decided to leave the party.
Since	Since Tom is not feeling well, he decided to take a day off today.
Seeing that	Seeing that the prices were reduced, Loana decided to buy a new laptop.

2.3. Conditional clauses

What are conditional clauses? A conditional clause is a dependent clause that begins with "If" to express a hypothetical or uncertain condition and its possible consequence.

Conditional clause	Usage	Example
Conditional sentence type 1	Describe a possible future action, event or situation that would occur if a certain condition was met beforehand.	If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home.
Conditional sentence type 2	Describe an action or event that may not happen in the future depending on a hypothetical condition in the present not being true.	If I had enough time, I would help you do housework. ➡ Actually, I'm busy.
Conditional sentence type 3	Describe an action or event that did not happen in the past as the stated condition did not occur in the past.	If they had left earlier, they would have caught the train.

2.4. Time clauses

What are time clauses? A time clause is a dependent clause that typically uses time-related words like "when", "while", "as", "until", "till", "as soon as", etc. at the beginning to indicate a time frame or temporal relationship to the main clause.

Time clause	Example
When	I will call you when I arrive at the airport.
While	Alex listened to music while he was doing his homework.
Before	Finish your homework before you go out to play.
After	After Anna had finished her meal, she went for a walk.
Since	They have been friends since elementary school.
As	As the sun set, the sky turned various shades of orange and pink.
Till/until	I will wait for you until you finish your meeting.
As soon as	As soon as Maria heard the news, she called her friend.
Just as	Just as Jerry was about to leave, the phone rang.
Whenever	I feel happy whenever I listen to music.

2.5. Clauses of result

What are the clauses of result? Clauses of result are dependent clauses used to indicate a consequence or outcome caused by the main clause. In other words, clauses of result modify the main clause by identifying a result stemming from the main clause's action.

Clauses of result	Example
So…that	The rain was so heavy that the streets were flooded.
Such…that	It was such a hot day that everyone was looking for shade.
Enough…to	Ms. Anna is old enough to drive a car.
Too…to	The box was too heavy for him to lift.
As a result	Daisy worked hard, and as a result, she received a promotion.
Therefore	John forgot his umbrella at home, and therefore, he got wet in the rain.

3. Adjective Clauses/ Relative Clauses

An adjective clause, also known as an adjective clause, is a dependent clause that appears immediately after a noun it modifies.

Adjective clause/ relative clause	Usage	Example
Defining relative clause	To provide the necessary information to identify the noun that precedes it. Without this clause, the noun being referenced could not be adequately determined - be it a person, place, thing, or idea.	Do you know the phone number of the boy who gave me an apple at your company yesterday? ➞ The clause "who gave me an apple at your company yesterday" is a defining relative clause used to specifically identify "the boy". Without this clause, the listener would not be able to determine which particular boy was being referred to.
Non-defining relative clause	To provide additional information for the noun preceding it, can be omitted but the sentence still has meaning.	The film, which I and my boyfriend saw yesterday, is very interesting. ➞ The clause "which I and my boyfriend saw yesterday" is a non-defining relative clause that provides additional context about "the film" but can be omitted without essential loss of meaning to the sentence.
Reduced relative clauses	Relative pronouns are omitted to make sentences shorter.	It is the best movie that my mother and I have ever seen. ➡ It is the best movie my mother and I have ever seen. The comic which was bought by my younger brother is very interesting. ➡ The comic bought by my younger brother is very interesting.

III. Distinguish between clauses and sentences in English

Many students often confuse clauses and sentences. So how do you grasp the proper use of these two grammatical concepts? Let's learn more details in the table below with PREP!

Clause

Sentence

Definition

Clauses are the basic units of grammar, which must contain a verb. Typically, a clause is formed by a subject, a verb, and sometimes additional complements.

Clauses can have complete meaning (independent clauses) or incomplete meaning (dependent clauses).

A sentence is a grammatical unit that contains at least one main clause. It can contain more than one clause.

The sentence always has complete meaning.

Example

I'm fine with whichever movie you choose.

➡ “Whichever movie you select” is a dependent clause, as it does not have complete meaning standing alone on its own.

I looked at Anne and he smiled at me.

➡ This sentence contains two clauses: "I looked at Anne" and "he smiled at me", connected by the conjunction "and".

Distinguish between clauses and sentences in English

IV. Exercises on types of clauses in English with answers

To further clarify the use of two types of clauses in English - independent clause and dependent clause, as well as distinguishing between noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses in a sentence, let's practice these two examples together!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Tick ✅ if it is an independent clause, ❌ if it is a dependent clause:

Clause	Independent clause	Dependent clause
1. We need to figure out how we can make our customers happy
2. I enjoy sitting by the fireplace and reading.
3. French fries, which many people like, are not a healthy food.
4. The Eiffel Tower is a tourist site which is located in Paris.
5. The professor always comes to class fully prepared.

Exercise 2: Determine which types of dependent clauses in the following sentences: Noun clause; adjective clause; adverb clause:

How she behaved at the wedding was terrible.
Yoga, which a lot of people practice, is a good form of exercise.
Now that the people have left the party, we must begin cleaning.
As soon as he saw her, he knew that she was the one.
My mom remembers the days when there was no TV.
I wonder how long he will be.

2. Answers

Exercise 1:

Clause	Independent clause	Dependent clause
1. We need to figure out how we can make our customers happy		✅
2. I enjoy sitting by the fireplace and reading.	❌
3. French fries, which many people like, are not a healthy food.		✅
4. The Eiffel Tower is a tourist site which is located in Paris.		✅
5. The professor always comes to class fully prepared.	❌

Exercise 2:

Noun clause	How she behaved at the wedding was terrible.
	I wonder how long he will be.
Adjective clause	Yoga, which a lot of people practice, is a good form of exercise.
	My mom remembers the days when there was no TV.
Adverb clause	Now that the people have left the party, we must begin cleaning.
	As soon as he saw her, he knew that she was the one.

PREP hopes this article has provided you with a thorough understanding of the different types of clauses in English. Follow PREP regularly to stay updated on helpful grammar knowledge. Best of luck in your language-learning journey!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.