Dependent Clause

Dependent clause examples

Here are some dependent clauses on their own. Try to spot what you could add to them to create full sentences.

Now we will pair an independent clause with the dependent clause, using the subordinating conjunction word at the start of each dependent clause to link them together. Notice how each one now makes a complete sentence.

By adding the independent clause, we have created complete sentences that makes sense. Let's look at these and explore how the independent clause works alongside the dependent clause.

The independent clause of the first sentence is 'He kept working'. This alone could work as a full sentence as it contains a subject and a predicate. The dependent clause is 'he is tired', which isn't a full sentence. We join the dependent clause onto the end of the independent clause using the conjunction although to create a complex sentence.

Fig 1. Dependent clauses give us more information as to why the milk is all gone

Connecting independent and dependent clauses

Connecting independent and dependent clauses creates complex sentences. It's important to use complex sentences in our writing to avoid repetition and boring sentences. However, we must take care to join the clauses together correctly.

When joining an independent clause with a dependent clause, we can use subordinating conjunction words, such as if, since, although, when, after, while, as, before, until, whenever, and because. Either clause can go first.

When the subordinating conjunction and dependent clause go first, the two clauses should be separated with a comma.

Three types of dependent clauses

There are three main types of dependent clauses. Let's take a look at each one.

Adverbial dependent clauses

Adverbial dependent clauses give us more information about the verb found in the main clause. They usually answer the questions who, what, where, when, why and how the verb was performed. Adverbial dependent clauses often begin with the subordinating conjunctions relating to time, such as after, before, while, as soon as.

Noun dependent clauses

Noun dependent clauses can take the role of a noun within a sentence. If the noun clause is acting as the subject of the sentence, then it is not a dependent clause. If it is acting as the object of the sentence, then it is a dependent clause.

Noun clauses typically begin with interrogative pronouns, such as who, what, when, where, which, why, and how.

Relative dependent clauses

A relative dependent clause gives more information about the noun in the independent clause - in many ways it acts as an adjective. They always begin with a relative pronoun, such as that, which, who, and whom.

Fig 2. Relative dependent clauses can tell us where the bookstore is

Why do we use dependent clauses?

Independent clauses give us the main idea contained in the sentence. Dependent clauses are used to add to the sentence. This can be done through different information being given in the dependent clause.

Dependent clauses can be used to establish a place, a time, a condition, a reason, or a comparison to the independent clause. This does not mean that a dependent clause is limited to giving these types of information - it can contain any additional information that relates to the independent clause.

Independent clauses and dependent clauses

Independent clauses are what dependent clauses rely on. They contain a subject and a predicate and create a full idea or thought. They are combined with dependent clauses to create different sentence types and to give more information about the subject of the sentence.

Dependent clauses and sentence types

Dependent clauses can be used in two different sentence types. These sentence types are complex sentences and compound-complex sentences.

• Complex sentences contain one independent clause with one or more dependent clauses attached to it. The dependent clauses will be connected to the independent clause with a conjunction word and/or a comma depending on the positioning of the clauses.

• Compound-complex sentences are very similar in structure to complex sentences; however, they have the addition of multiple independent clauses rather than just one. This often means (but is not always the case) that there is only one dependent clause used to accompany the multiple independent clauses.

Sentences with dependent clauses

Let's consider complex sentences first. To form a complex sentence, we need one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

This is an example of one independent clause being paired with a dependent clause. Below you can see how the sentence would change if another dependent clause was added.

'Amy was eating' is still the independent clause, but there are multiple dependent clauses in this sentence.

When writing compound-complex sentences, we must include multiple independent clauses. We can develop the above example sentence to contain another independent clause and make it a compound-complex sentence.

We now have a compound-complex sentence, with the two independent clauses 'Andrew tried to eat his lunch' and 'Amy was eating' and the dependent clause 'while she spoke'.