Dependent and Independent Clauses

If you have trouble with fragments or run-on sentences, including comma splices,
you might want to study more about independent and dependent clauses.
A clause is a group of words which work together and contain at least a subject
and a verb.

Independent Clauses (also called main clauses)

An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. The following are complete
sentences. They have subjects I and verbs went and forgot.
I went to the skating rink yesterday.
I forgot my skates.
When two sentences (or two complete thoughts) are connected by a coordinating
conjunction they become independent clauses. In the above sentence two
complete thoughts are linked by a comma and the coordinating conjunction
but.
I went to the skating rink yesterday, but I forgot my skates.
Coordinating conjunctions are used to join two independent clauses, which are
clauses of equal importance. A coordinating conjunction usually comes in the
middle of the sentence, and it usually follows a comma (unless both clauses are
very short). These are the most common coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor,
but, or, yet, so. FANBOYS is a handy device to remembering them.

Dependent Clauses (also called subordinate clauses)

A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence even though it contains a
subject and a verb.
Here are some dependent clauses:
After I went to the skating rink yesterday,
Because I went to the skating rink yesterday,

Before I went to the skating rink yesterday,..

Each dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction. A short list of
common subordinating conjunctions includes: after, although, as if, as though,
because, before, even if, even though, if, since, though, unless, until, whenever,
whether, while. A subordinating conjunction is the only word that distinguishes a
dependent clause from an independent clause.
As you can see the above clauses dont make sense or are incomplete by
themselves. To be part of a complete sentence, a dependent clause must be
joined to an independent clause. If a dependent clause appears before the main
clause, a comma follows the dependent clause. Only when they joined with an
independent clause do they become complete sentences (and make sense):
After I went to the skating rink yesterday, I met my friend.
Because I went to the skating rink yesterday, my legs were sore.
Before I went to the skating rink yesterday, I did my homework.
Here you can see that the dependent clause answered a question about the
independent clause, such as: Under what circumstances? Why? When?
Dependent clauses can also appear in the middle of an independent clause, such
as: The red telephone, which belonged to Ms. Smith, rang loudly. The dependent
clause which rang loudly begins with the relative pronoun which and modifies
the noun phone. In this sentence the independent clause is The red telephone
rang loudly.