INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
OBJ ECTIVES:
1. Students should understand that...
a. An independent clause contains a subject and
a predicate and can stand alone as a complete
thought.
b. A complete sentence must contain at least one
independent clause.
2.
Stu
dents shou ld be able to.
.
.
a. ldentify independent clauses and distinguish
them from fragments or dependent clauses.
b. Write examples of independent clauses.
Day
One
INDEPENDENT cLAUsEs
Decide whether each example below is an lN DEPENDENT CLAUSE
(answer YES or NO):
1. The little purple fairy.
2. 5he lived in the woods with all her fairy friends.
3. Her name was Violet.
4. Named after her great grandmother, the ugliest fairy in the forest.
5.
\ùUhenever someone calls Violet ugly.
6. Violet gets really mad, knocks the person out, and feeds him or her to th
nearest tree troll.
7.
5he has anger issues.
B. According to her fairy psychiatrist.
Wordplay
- Just for fun!
> ANAGRAM: Rearrange the letters in the nonsense phrase below to create new words that actua
make sense.
ALL KEROSENE CLA5S
(Hint: purple and gold ball players)
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
l.
The little purple fairy. NO
2. She lived in the woods with all her fairy friends.
3, Her name was Violet. YES
YE5
4. Named after her great grandmother, the ugliest fairy in the forest. NO
5. Whenever someone calls Violet ugly. NO
6, Violet gets really mad, knocks the person out, and feeds him or her to
the nearest tree troll. YES
7, She has anger issues. YES
8, According to her fairy psychiatrist. NO
üordplay -Just for fun!
the letters in the nonsense phrase below to
create new words that actually make sense,
> AN AGRAIVI: Rearrange
ALL KERO5ENE 61455
(Hint: purple and Sold ball players)
Los Angeles Lakers
An INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
is a
group of words that can stand alone
as a sentence
and must contain
SUBJECT and a PREDICATE.
ReadeachofthefollowingeXcerptsfromWbyLoisLowry
and decide if it has a SUBJECT AND A PREDICATE (answer
INDEPENDENT or NOT INDEPENDENT):
1. and now three years later
2, King Christian was getting old
3, badly injured last year in a fall from his horse, faithful old
4. had carried him around Copenhagen so many morn¡ngs
5. for days they thought he would die
6. and all of Denmark had mourned
F¡ll ¡n the blank to complete the independent clause:
7. My new red bicycle
Jubiee
could destroy the ent¡re planet.
B.
Wordplay
-
lust for fun!
> DESCRAMBLER: Try to sort out the five scrambled words below;
YBBA GANOY FRIADE RNtcEsw LUNKFNIc
a
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
Read each of the follorrlng exaerpts from Number the Stars by Lois Lorrry and decile lf lt has a
5UBTFCTAND A PREDICATE (ansr¡ær INDIPENDENToT NoT INDEPENDfNT):
l.
and now, three years later Nor tNDËPiNDEl'i-r
2. King Christian wäs Sett¡ng old INDEPENDENT
3. badly injured last year in a fall from his horse, faithful old Jubiee Nor
INDEPENDENT
4. had carried hirn around Cope¡hagen 50 many mornings
NOT
ìNDEPENDENT
5. for days they thought he would die txorprNDENr
ó. and all of Denmark had mourned INDEPENDENT
Thls nright be a good timeto point out that lt is NOT rvrong to start a sentence (or an
indeperrclent clar.¡se) withthervord AND or BUT. That's a comtrlon nrisconception' Although
it's not incorrect to start a çentence with a coordlnating conjunction, lt's Poor style to do lt too
otten.
FiI
I
in the
b la
nk t o com Plete t he i ndepen&nt clau¡e:
ANS\\/IR5 WILI- VARY.
7. My ne\
/ red birycle
8.____A
-----catr
war
fr-rll-scale truclear
go faster than my olcl
bike--_--.
could destroy the entire planet
Wordplay- Just for tun!
>
DEsCRAMBLER Try to sort out tlre five scrambled words below;
YBBA CANOY FRTADE RNICESW LUNKFN ¡C
Baby Agorry Rafted Wingers Flunking
n your own wor ds
1.
What
is an
independent clause?
2. Why does every sentence need to have at least one independent
clause?
Ceneral Grammar Review:
3. Write an example of a verb phrase.
4. ls "to win" a gerund or an infinitive?
An INDEPENDENT CLAUSE must sound complete and must be able to stand alone
as a
full sentence.
Decide whether each example below is an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
(answer YES or NO):
5. That human and monkey DNA are very
similar,
6, Researchers discovered something.
7. lf I get a good grade in my science class.
Wordplay
-
Just for fun!
> VOWEL COMBINATOR: The vowel combination "o\M" can sound like
(6(-1"
in "go" or the "o\M" in "wow." List as many words as you
the hard
can that contain "o\ /" making the hard "O" sound.
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
lnyouro! rnworû.-
l.
What is an independent clause? A group of words that has a subject and
a predicate a¡rd can stand alone as a complete thought.
wery sentence need to have at least one indeperrdent clause?
Because without one inclependent clause, a sentence does not contain a
2. Why does
complete thoLrght.
General Grammar Revþw:
ANW"'ERS U(/ILL VAR.\'.
3. Write an example
of a pastperfectverb phrase. lrad worked
4. ls "to win" a gerund or an infinitive? infirritive
An INDEPENDENT CLAUSE must sound complete and must be able to stand
alone as a full se¡rtence.
Decide wheürer eadr enmple bel,o , is an INDEPI NDENT CLAUST (ansrrær
YES
or NO):
5. That human and monkey DNA are very similar. NO
6. Researchers discovered something.
YEs
7. lf I get a good grade in my science class. NO
For numbers 5 and 7, point out thatiíyou |ustcleleteth€ "That'andthe "lf." they willboth be
independent clauses.
lN DEPEN DENT CLAUSES
Four
ReadthefollowingeXcerptfromWbyLoisLowryand
Day
then answer the following questions:
(a) Mama and Papa never spoke of Lise, They never opened the trunk. (b)
But Annemarie did, when she was alone in the apartment: alone, (c) she
touched Lise's things gently, remembering her soft-spoken sister (d) who had
1.
How many independent clauses does line (a) contain?
2. ls the underlined portion of line (b) an independent clause?
3, ls the underlined portion of line (c) an independent clause?
4, ls the underlined portion of line (d) an independent
clause?
Using the proper proofreading marks, correct the six errors in this
excerpt:
The hole world had changed. Only the fairy tales remained same, 'And they
livedhappily ever after" Annemarie recited, whispering into the dark
completing the tale for her sister, who sleeped beside her.
Wordplay
- Just for fun!
>CATALOCUE CREATOR: The suffix "-ment"
that contain this suffix?
means "act
or instance of," How many words can you list
IN DEPEN DENT C LAUSES
Read the folbwing excerpt from Numberthe Stars by Lois Lowry and then ansrrær the folbwing
questbns:
(a) Mama and Papa never spoke of Lise, They never opened the trunk,
(b) But Annemarie did, when she was alone in the apartment: alone,
(c) she touched Lise's things gently, remembering her soft-spoken sister
(d) who had looked forward so to marriage and children of her own,
l. How many independent
clauses does line (a) contain? 2
2. ls tlre underlìned portion of line (b) an indeper-rdent clause? NO
3.ls the underlined portion of line (c) an independent clause? YEs
4. ls the underlined portion of Iine (d) an independent clause? NC)
Using the proper proofreading marla.
cüred the six errors in thk excerpt:
u'hole
The
heþ world had changed. Only the fairy tales remainednsame. "And they
the
live$/rappily ever aftero' Annemarie recited, whispering into the dar\
ID
completing the tale for her sister, who ,fleepeþ beside her.
Day Five
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
Decide whether each example below is an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
(answer YES or NO):
l.
Which wasn't part of the plan.
2. Crandma makes the best pasta dishes.
3. The alligator's dangerously sharp teeth.
4. After the team practiced for three hours.
5. The package includes over one hundred different fireworks!
6. Had just started raining.
Fill in the blank to complete the independent clause:
7
. The movie, which was directed by Spielberg,
B
him.
running as fast as his legs would carry
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
Deciderrytrethereach exanple belowis an INDEPENDENTCT USE (ansurerYE5
orNO):
1, Which wasn't Dart of the plan. NO
2. 6randma makes the best pasta dishes.
YES
3. The alligator's dangerously sharp teeth. NO
4. After the team practiced for three hours. NO
5. The package includes over one hundred different fireworks! YE5
6, Had just started raining. NO
Fill in the blank to cornplete the independent clause:
ANSWERS WILL VAR\',
7. The movie, which was directed by Spielberg,
Awards last year_....
8.
__The track star was_ running
__-won
as fast as his legs
several Academy
would carry him,
Day
lN DEPEN DENT CLAUSES
Six
Read the following excerpt from Numb-erlheStars by Lois Lowry and then
answer the following questions:
(a) The days of September passed, one after the other, much the same.
(b) Annemarie and Ellen walked to school together and home again,
(c) always taking the long way,avoiding the tall soldier and his
partner. (d) K¡rsti dawdled just behind them or scampered ahead,
1,
UUh¡ch part
of line (a) is the independent clause?
2. Who or what is the subject of the independent clause in line (b)?
3. How many independent clauses does line (c) contain?
4, ls line (d) an independent clause?
Using the proper proofreading marks, correct the six errors in this excerpt:
They're was no fuel for now homes in Copenhagen Like the other
families in their building, the Johansen's had opened the old
chimney and installing a little stove to use for heet when they could
find coal to burn.
Read the follcrwing excerpt frorn Number the Slars by Lois Lowry and then ansurer the following
questions:
of September passed, one after the other, much the same.
(b) Annemarie and Ellen walked to school together and home again,
(a) The days
(c) always taking the long way, avoiding the tall soldier and his partner.
(d) Kif:!.idawdled just behind them or scamPered ahead.
5, Which part
of line (a)
is
the independent clause? The days of September
passecl
6. Who or what is the subject of the independent clause in line (b)?
Annemarie and Ellen
7, How many independent clauses does line (c) contain? None
8. ls line (d) an independent clause?
Using ttre proper præfreading
mar*l corred
YE5
the six errtrJ in this excerpt:
There
Tägdfe was no fuel fo now honres in Copenhageq;like the other familÍes in
'+'
-"-d
their building, the Johansen"s had opened the old chimney and installíng
little stove to use fo
hen they could find coal to burn.
a
IN DEPEN DENT CLAUSES
REVTEUU FOR
TODAY'S QUIZ:
l.
What is an independent clause?
2. What two parts does every independent clause
have
to
have?
3. ldentify which of the following
are independent
clauses:
a.
My older brother.
b. Because he joined the army after high school.
c. He fought in Afghanistan for three years.
d. Got injured in a helicopter crash.