Questions tagged [independent-clauses]
For questions about independent clauses. (A clause that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete idea. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence)
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Identifying independent & dependent clauses in a religious text [closed]
Ephesians 6:14-17
14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of ...
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Should the coordinating conjunction be preceded by a comma when there is an introductory element that covers both clauses?
If there exists an introductory, dependent clause/phrase that is meant to describe both or all clauses of a sentence, do we add a comma before the coordinating conjunction?
Tomorrow, Bob will go to ...
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Oxford comma list with more than one verb
A friend has pointed out that in an Oxford comma separated list, either every clause needs a verb, or each clause must be the object of the first verb.
This seems to make sense to me, but would this ...
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Can a series unite independent clauses with other fragments?
It's common to unite multiple independent clauses with an "and" in order to form a sentence. For example, consider a sentence that says, "The weather is warm, campsites are abundant, ...
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Should there be a comma after the word "and" in this sentence with a subordinate and indendant clause after the word "and"?
I believe I've got the proper comma placements for these two sentences:
"The ball fell to the ground, and he caught it after it bounced."
"After it bounced, he caught it."
...
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Types of Clause
I'm getting perplexed searching "how many types of clause ....?" Because different websites are giving different answers.
I am thinking about taking it as, may be there are two types: ...
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Are FANBOYS the ONLY coordinating conjunctions that can coordinate two independent clauses? Are there any others? [duplicate]
I wanted clarification on exactly which coordinating conjunctions can take independent clauses.
This question rose when I looked up the definition of because in some dictionary. That dictionary said ...
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Implicit subject in a dependent clause (or is it independent?) [duplicate]
In the sentence
I can resend it or paste it here on WhatsApp
I am unsure if adding a comma before "or" is appropriate. The clause "paste it here on WhatsApp" seems to be, on its ...
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Is "Do as you please" a complex sentence?
My textbook says that "Do" is an independent clause, which makes "do as you please" an independent clause + a dependent clause. How is "do" an independent clause?
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What justifies comma usage here?
I came across the following sentence in Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari:
Even prisons and concentration camps are cooperation networks, and can function only because thousands of strangers somehow ...
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Three joined independent clauses [closed]
I'm a bit lost as to how the following sentence should be punctuated:
Life at sea, living on a tiny sailboat, is tough, but the sea provides a lot of free food, and so I don't mind the lack of luxury....
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A semicolon or something else?
In Forrest Gump, Forrest says: "I couldn't tell where heaven stopped, and the earth began; it was so beautiful.”
What is the grammar after 'began'? Does a comma or semi-colon indicate a break ...
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Independent clause between commas?
In the following sentence, which is the independent clause?
Exercising four times a week, doctors claim, can help prevent heart disease.
Is it “Exercising four times a week can help prevent heart ...
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Must a compound sentence have a comma? [duplicate]
Must a compound sentence have a comma?
If it simply linking two independent clauses with a conjunction, does it require a comma? e.g.
He poured me another drink and I drank it.
If not a compound ...
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Can an independent clause be interrupted by a conjunction without a comma and still be an independent clause? [closed]
Can an independent clause be interrupted by a conjunction without a comma and still be an independent clause? e.g.:
He poured me another drink and I drank it.
or:
Max climbed onto his horse and we ...
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Can you use two (or more) semicolons with two (or more) conjunctive adverbs?
I am confident that I know how to use semicolons, and I would like to use them more often; but, there is one thing with the semicolon that I cannot find an answer on: Can you use two (or more) ...
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Confusion with pronouns proceeding gerunds
In The Stranger, we have the following passage.
So we took our time getting back, him telling me how glad he was that he'd been able to give the woman what she deserved.
I understand the meaning, ...
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The correct placement of the independent clause [duplicate]
Among these sentences, which one is the correct placement of my brother's name and/or more appropriate in legal documentation?
I made a bank draft to support my brother’s, Jason Statham, higher ...
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Adverbial subordinate clause/ phrase [duplicate]
After March 2023, life will be back to normal.
Is the bit "After March 2020" an adverbial clause or a prepositional clause?
After eight hours, they reached the peak.
Same doubt about &...
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Otherwise as a Conjunction; does the second clause become a dependant clause when we use otherwise as a conditional?
If we have two independent clauses, which can stand on their own as complete sentences. When we join the two with a conditional such as "otherwise". The second clause, now headed by "...
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In the sentence, "I want an air-freshener because I can't stand bad smells", why is the because-clause a subordinate clause? [duplicate]
I want an air-freshener because I can't stand bad smells.
Here, isn't 'I can't stand bad smells' a coordinate clause? It is complete in itself, right? It's only after adding 'because' that the ...
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Is it necessary to append a comma before the coordinate conjunction "or" here?
Here's my initial attempt at formulating this sentence in a grammatically correct manner:
I can't tell if I should be insulted by this recommendation because of
what I think the YouTube algorithm's ...
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Cleft sentences (main and subordinate clauses analysis)
It was because you are clever that I married you.
It was learning French that I found tiring.
What are the subordinate/main clauses. I am having really hard time analyzing the sentences above.
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Identifying Main and Subordinate clauses
In the sentence:
His family and professional life have made him uniquely able to write novels with a family setting which can absorb the conflict between past and present, tradition and novelty, good ...
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Usage of comma before ‘but’ in a long / complex sentence
I’m subtitling a spoken word piece, and the phrase, which is an answer to a question, is
Identifying and accepting something not in its true form but as something else.
I think there should be a ...
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Comma vs semicolon for "This is not a war, it's a revolution."
I understand that they are both independent clauses. Therefore, a semicolon should theoretically be used:
This is not a war; it's a revolution.
However, I think it reads a little weird. And seeing ...
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Introductory, Independent clauses and participles
For many people in the US, undergoing a medical procedure can be a stressful, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming ordeal.
I understand that For...US, is the introductory phrase and needs the comma. ...
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Why this clause is dependent?
While preparing for my SAT, I encountered the following sentence:
"According to a survey analysis, veterans returning to the University of Illinois had 6 one “predominating request”: an efficient ...
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Improper placement of a comma
Consider the following sentence, "Skye will become a doctor, and a priest if he finishes theology school."
My understanding is that the comma before the "and" does not follow the ...
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Tense Inconsistency (Past Simple and Present Perfect) or wrong Sequence of Tenses (Present tense follows Past tense)?
In the following sentence, the Present Perfect in the second clause sounds a little off to me, yet I cannot put my finger on WHY that is.
During this time (Subord. Clause 1), I was able to gain/ I ...
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Is this consider an independent clause?
First, to harbingers of doom. One is the upheaval in the market for “speculative grade” (or junk) bonds.
The first sentence seems to be grammatically incorrect. The subject does not have any ...
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Interjection between subordinate and main clauses
I have a question about this modest sentence for which I have no context except that it came to me. Then I wondered about its grammaticality.
Because it wasn’t my job—I didn’t work there—I left.
...
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Comma use in Microsoft Word
I feel like I'm always bristling at Word's suggestions to remove commas. Here's the sentence I'm currently unsure about:
Virtual social events are a good way to meet new people, and hosting a ...
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Immersed in real-world challenges, I never stop thinking how to make our world better.[Is this correct] [closed]
I've been asked to proofread an essay which consists of tons of these kind of twisted sentences. My question are whether this sentence is correct and in what case should there be a verb at the 'naked' ...
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Comma before conjunction [duplicate]
"As I saw it, the relationship between a typical African and his dog is one of tangible mutualism. I say tangible because the African sees himself as the dominant creature not to be bothered by the ...
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If an independent clause stands on its own, is it still considered a clause?
There are several definitions related to clauses in my textbook that am a little confused about, and I would greatly appreciate some clarification.
Here are the definitions:
Clause. A group of words ...
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Should there be a comma before “so” in the following sentence?
Consider the following sentence.
JS-- is an optimizing compiler for the good parts of JavaScript, which helps programmers write efficient and type-safe code so they can develop better quality ...
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Should two independent clauses separated by "and" also have a comma even when used in parantheses with the phrase "you know"?
My question deals specifically with this example:
I was extremely excited, so it was hard for me even to grab the doorknob and turn it—I kept on missing and my hand was shaking, you see—but once I ...
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Can "A case in point is Japan" be use as a dependent clause of a sentence?
My sentence in full length is "A case in point is Japan, they have experienced a drop of TFR from 3.44 in 1950 to only 1.55 in 2015."
Divide the sentence by comma into two parts, I would like to ...
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Is this a complete sentence? Using colons
The sentence I saw: "The eggs benedict should include the following ingredients: poached eggs, English muffins, bacon, and hollandaise sauce."
But colons must follow an independent clause. So does ...
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Independent and dependent clauses classification
"What you see is what you get". In this sentence, there are two noun clauses: 1. What you see, and 2. What you get. Obviously enough, it's a complex sentence. I want to know which one is the ...
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Independent Clause or not [closed]
Would this be an independent clause:
"This had little noticeable effect on our demographic".
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Difference between dependent and independent clauses
In the sentence "It's raining, but I'm happy," "but" is a coordinating conjunction. Both of the clauses are independent, right?
However, doesn't "I'm happy even though it's raining" mean the same ...
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Limitations of Subordination and Nested Clauses
I'm an English teacher who often has to grapple with explaining to students the complexity of clause structure in English, and after reading an article about various 'longest sentences' in fiction, I ...
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Is there a hard rule for where commas go when there seems to be two independent clauses but there's only one subject?
Actually, my question is a perfect example -
"Is there a hard rule for where commas go when there SEEMS to be two independent clauses but there's only one subject?"
This one seems easy to me, in ...
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Is this example correct? (omitting subject in compound sentence)
Had an argument with my colleague regarding the example from "Advanced Grammar in Use" by Martin Hewings:
In two years time Morneau will have been acting for 50 years, and
shows no signs of ...
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3
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Independent clauses
Textbooks tell you that an independent clause must have a subject, verb and express a complete thought (or stand alone). However, I'm confused why the following examples below are considered to be ...
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Is this an independent or dependent clause?
Look at the following example
'But she was so tired, she did not finish painting.'
Is the first clause an independent or dependent clause?
If it is an independent clause, should I remove the comma ...
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Are these clauses independent?
I work as an editor for a technical firm, and I'm struggling with figuring out if this sentence and others like it need a comma:
"Very limited grading is necessary to achieve the proposed grades ...
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Question regarding comma vs. colon
Consider the following sentence:
In 2013 Tallinn, Estonia, instituted fare-free rides for city residents (becoming the largest city in the world to do so), but car use in Tallinn has only slightly ...
