Question

read the excerpt.

after a strenuous climb, the hikers decided to make camp before reaching the summit; night was approaching rapidly.

which statement most accurately describes this excerpt?

• it contains three dependent clauses.
• it contains three independent clauses.
• it contains two independent clauses.
• it contains two dependent clauses.

Explanation:

Analyze the first part of the sentence

The excerpt begins with: "After a strenuous climb, the hikers decided to make camp before reaching the summit".

• "After a strenuous climb" is a prepositional phrase.
• "the hikers decided to make camp" is an Independent Clauses because it contains a subject ("the hikers") and a verb ("decided") and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
• "before reaching the summit" is a prepositional phrase acting adverbially.

Thus, this first main section contains one independent clause.

Analyze the second part of the sentence

The second part of the sentence, following the semicolon, is: "night was approaching rapidly".

• "night" is the subject.
• "was approaching" is the verb phrase.
• This clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence, making it another Independent Clauses.

Count the total clauses

Let's evaluate the entire sentence structure:

• Clause 1 (Independent): "the hikers decided to make camp" (with its modifying phrases "After a strenuous climb" and "before reaching the summit").
• Clause 2 (Independent): "night was approaching rapidly".

There are no Dependent Clauses (which would require a subordinating conjunction and a subject-verb pair that cannot stand alone).
Therefore, the sentence contains exactly two independent clauses.

Answer:

• It contains three dependent clauses.
• It contains three independent clauses.
• It contains two independent clauses. (Correct answer)
• It contains two dependent clauses.