68 Dependent Clauses
Clauses
A complex sentence is usually composed of an Independent Clause and at least one Dependent or Subordinate Clause.
Dependent Clause: Clause that cannot form a sentence by itself.
A complex sentence containing a Independent or Dependent Clause has this structure:
Independent clause + connector + Dependent clause.
| Independent Clause | Dependent Clause |
| I was studying | while Mary and John were walking in the park. |
| She went on a long road trip | even though her wanted her to spend the summer at home. |
| They spent the night at the beach | until dawn broke into a beautiful sunrise. |
Subordinate or Dependent Clause adds information to the independent clause and cannot stand alone as a complete thought. Dependent Clause may contain compound subjects (more than one subject).
We use a Dependent (Subordinate) clause to add information to the Independent clause. A complex sentence is made up of an Independent clause and a Dependent clause.
When we wish to form a complex sentence containing a Dependent clause, we have to follow the following structure:
Independent clause + connector + Dependent clause (e.g. John played basketball until his mom called him for dinner.).
For example:
— “John played basketball until his mom called him for dinner.“ = Dependent clause “until his mom called him for dinner” adds information to the Independent clause “John played basketball”.
NOTE: A Dependent Clause cannot stand alone as a complete thought (we need to have an independent clause and connector).
Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.