In traditional grammar, an independent clause (or main clause) is a
clause
In language, a clause is a Constituent (linguistics), constituent or Phrase (grammar), phrase that comprises a semantic predicand (expressed or not) and a semantic Predicate (grammar), predicate. A typical clause consists of a subject (grammar), ...
that can stand by itself as a ''
simple sentence
In grammar, sentence and clause structure, commonly known as sentence composition, is the classification of sentences based on the number and kind of clauses in their syntactic structure. Such division is an element of traditional grammar.
Typo ...
''. An independent clause contains a
subject and a
predicate and makes sense by itself.
Independent clauses can be joined by using a semicolon or by using a comma followed by a
coordinating conjunction
In grammar, a conjunction ( abbreviated or ) is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or clauses'','' which are called its conjuncts. That description is vague enough to overlap with those of other parts of speech because what consti ...
(''and'', ''but'', ''for'', ''or'', ''nor'', ''so'', ''yet'', etc.).
Examples
In the following example
sentences, independent clauses are
underlined, and conjunctions are in bold.
Single independent clauses:
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I have enough money to buy an ice cream cone.
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My favourite flavour is chocolate.
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Let's go to the shop.
Multiple independent clauses:
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I have enough money to buy an ice cream cone;
my favourite flavour is chocolate.
*
I have enough money to buy an ice cream cone, so
let's go to the shop.
See also
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Comma splice
In written English usage, a comma splice or comma fault is the use of a comma to join two independent clauses. For example:
The comma splice is sometimes used in literary writing to convey a particular mood of informality. It is usually conside ...
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Conditional sentence
A conditional sentence is a sentence in a natural language that expresses that one thing is contingent on another, e.g., "If it rains, the picnic will be cancelled." They are so called because the impact of the sentence’s main clause is ''con ...
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Dependent clause
A dependent clause, also known as a subordinate clause, subclause or embedded clause, is a certain type of clause that juxtaposes an independent clause within a complex sentence. For instance, in the sentence "I know Bette is a dolphin", the claus ...
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Relative clause
A relative clause is a clause that modifies a noun or noun phrase and uses some grammatical device to indicate that one of the arguments in the relative clause refers to the noun or noun phrase. For example, in the sentence ''I met a man who wasn ...
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Run-on sentence
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Sentence clause structure
References
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External links
Clauses: Independent, The Tongue Untied
Online Writing Lab
Independent & Dependent Clauses My Schoolhouse
Clauses
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