Identify the following categories.
1. The film is about a spy whose life is very adventurous.
Dependent Clause -
Independent Clause -
Why do you think that the clause is Independent?
The subject in the Independent Clause -
The Predicate in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Subordinate clause -
2. This is the only large house whose walls are made of colorful glasses.
Dependent Clause -
Independent Clause -
Why do you think that the clause is Independent?
The subject in the Independent Clause -
The Predicate in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Subordinate clause -
3. That is George whose office is located near mine.
Dependent Clause -
Independent Clause -
Why do you think that the clause is Independent?
The subject in the Independent Clause -
The Predicate in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Subordinate clause -
Possessive Pronoun -
4. We helped the women whose car had broken down.
Dependent Clause -
Independent Clause -
Why do you think that the clause is Independent?
The subject in the Independent Clause -
The Predicate in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Subordinate clause -
5. That’s the boy whose skateboard was stolen.
Dependent Clause
Independent Clause -
Why do you think that the clause is Independent?
The subject in the Independent Clause -
The Predicate in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Independent Clause -
The finite verb in the Subordinate clause -
Answers
Answer:
This is an independent clause, i.e. it could stand alone as a complete sentence. B is not an independent clause because it begins with the subordinating phrase “By the time that,” making this clause subordinate or dependent on clause A. Without this subordinator, “he arrived at the house” by itself would be independent clause. C is another example of a subordinate or dependent clause (a nominative/noun clause), because of the introductory “that.” D contains nouns and includes prepositions and articles but no verb, so it is not a sentence or an independent clause.
2. D: This independent clause has a subject (you), an auxiliary verb (should), a transitive verb (take), an article (an), and the verb’s object (umbrella). “If it is raining” (A) is a dependent or subordinate clause, specifically a conditional clause, a type of adverbial clause stating a condition introduced by the subordinating conjunction “if.” B is incomplete because “take” is a transitive verb requiring an object (an umbrella) to complete it. C has a noun and its article but no verb, so it also is incomplete.
3. B: This is a complete sentence. Its subject is “you understood,” i.e. when the imperative form of a verb (to be) is used, the noun “you” is assumed though unstated. “Be” is a linking verb with the adjective “sure” as its complement. The transitive verb “to bring” modifies “sure” and takes the object noun “sunscreen.” “When you go” (A) is a subordinate clause introduced by the adverb “When” and dependent on the independent clause (B). “To the beach” is a prepositional phrase. “When you go to the beach” (D) is a dependent clause like A, but with the prepositional phrase added.
4. C: This is a complete sentence and hence an independent clause: it contains a subject (I) and predicate (know). Choice A contains both this clause and part of the dependent clause “that you are still waiting.” The dependent/subordinate clause is a nominative clause introduced by the subordinator “that.” Without this subordinator it would be an independent clause (“you are still waiting”). B has a subject (you) and verb (are), but the adverb “still,” indicating manner, requires something to modify which is missing (“waiting”). D is a verb and by itself is not a phrase, clause, or sentence.
5. A: This is an independent clause with an article, subject noun, verb, article, and object. B is a relative clause dependent on the independent clause. It modifies the noun “work” and is introduced by the subordinator “that.” C is a prepositional phrase modifying the verb “has endured.” D is a phrase: it has a noun and relative clause but no predicate (the existing verb is part of the relative dependent clause). It would only be independent without “that.”