Which clause can stand on its own as a sentence?

Which clause can stand on its own as a sentence?

• A. Independent clause
• B. Dependent clause
• C. Relative clause
• D. Subordinate clause

Answer: (A)

An independent clause can stand on its own because it has a subject and a finite verb and expresses a complete thought. It functions as a complete sentence, as in “The sun set.” A dependent clause, by contrast, contains a subject and a verb but does not express a full idea by itself, so it can’t stand alone. It needs an independent clause to complete the sentence, such as “Because the sun had set” in a larger sentence like “Because the sun had set, we headed home.” A relative clause is a type of dependent clause that adds information about a noun and is usually introduced by who, which, or that; it cannot stand alone, as in “the book that I borrowed,” which needs the rest of the sentence to make sense. A subordinate clause is just another term for a dependent clause and shares the same limitation.

An independent clause can stand on its own because it has a subject and a finite verb and expresses a complete thought. It functions as a complete sentence, as in “The sun set.” A dependent clause, by contrast, contains a subject and a verb but does not express a full idea by itself, so it can’t stand alone. It needs an independent clause to complete the sentence, such as “Because the sun had set” in a larger sentence like “Because the sun had set, we headed home.” A relative clause is a type of dependent clause that adds information about a noun and is usually introduced by who, which, or that; it cannot stand alone, as in “the book that I borrowed,” which needs the rest of the sentence to make sense. A subordinate clause is just another term for a dependent clause and shares the same limitation.