Question

lesson
24 recognize independent
and subordinate clauses
a clause is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate. there are two kinds of
clauses. an independent clause, or main clause, expresses a complete thought and
can stand on its own as a sentence.
for example: i will take the dog for a walk.
a subordinate clause cannot stand on its own as a sentence; it depends on an
independent clause to make sense.
for example: as soon as i finish my homework
subordinate clauses are important because they add information to sentences. a
subordinate clause usually begins with a conjunction, such as after, although, as soon
as, as long as, because, before, even though, if, rather than, unless, when, whenever,
where, or whereas. you can place a subordinate clause before or after the main clause.
if you put it before the main clause, follow the subordinate clause with a comma.
a. decide if the underlined clause in each sentence below is an independent or a
subordinate clause. write independent or subordinate on the line beside the sentence.

1. whenever im late for gym class, mrs. nguyen makes me run a lap.
2. i like to read mystery novels when i need a break from school work.
3. i hit send on the email before i took the time to reread it.

b. indicate whether the clauses below are independent or subordinate by writing
independent or subordinate on the second lines. then, complete each sentence by
writing the other type of clause on the first lines.

1. i like to go swimming
2. whenever i miss the bus,
3. as soon as i saw the look on her face,
4. i will do well on the math test
5. although i had never played lacrosse before,

Explanation:

This problem is about identifying independent and subordinate clauses in sentences, which falls under the subfield of Linguistics (within Arts). An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence (has a subject, predicate, and complete thought), while a subordinate clause depends on an independent clause and often starts with a conjunction (like whenever, when, before, as soon as, although).

Part A:

1. The underlined clause "Whenever I'm late for gym class" starts with "whenever" (a subordinating conjunction) and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. So it's subordinate.
2. The underlined clause "I like to read mystery novels" has a subject (I) and predicate (like to read mystery novels) and expresses a complete thought. So it's independent.
3. The underlined clause "before I took the time to reread it" starts with "before" (a subordinating conjunction) and cannot stand alone. So it's subordinate.

Part B (completing sentences with the other clause type):

1. "I like to go swimming" is an independent clause. To complete the sentence, we can add a subordinate clause, e.g., "I like to go swimming when the weather is warm" (subordinate clause: when the weather is warm).
2. "Whenever I miss the bus" is a subordinate clause (starts with "whenever"). The independent clause to complete it could be "Whenever I miss the bus, I have to walk to school" (independent clause: I have to walk to school).
3. "As soon as I saw the look on her face" is a subordinate clause (starts with "as soon as"). The independent clause to complete it could be "As soon as I saw the look on her face, I knew something was wrong" (independent clause: I knew something was wrong).
4. "I will do well on the math test" is an independent clause. A subordinate clause to add could be "I will do well on the math test if I study hard" (subordinate clause: if I study hard).
5. "Although I had never played lacrosse before" is a subordinate clause (starts with "although"). The independent clause to complete it could be "Although I had never played lacrosse before, I decided to join the team" (independent clause: I decided to join the team).

Answer:

s (for Part A and sample completions for Part B):

Part A:

1. subordinate
2. independent
3. subordinate

Part B (sample answers, other valid clauses are possible):

1. First line (subordinate clause): when the weather is warm

Second line: independent (original clause "I like to go swimming" is independent)

1. First line (independent clause): I have to walk to school

Second line: subordinate (original clause "Whenever I miss the bus" is subordinate)

1. First line (independent clause): I knew something was wrong

Second line: subordinate (original clause "As soon as I saw the look on her face" is subordinate)

1. First line (subordinate clause): if I study hard

Second line: independent (original clause "I will do well on the math test" is independent)

1. First line (independent clause): I decided to join the team

Second line: subordinate (original clause "Although I had never played lacrosse before" is subordinate)