Identifying Dependent Clauses

1. Joel missed the bus that he usually took, so he took the next one.
A. Joel missed the bus
B. that he usually took
C. so he took the next one
D. Both B and C

2. Albert Einstein once said, “If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”
A. If we knew what it was we were doing
B. it would not be called research
C. It would not be called research, would it?
D. we knew what it was we were doing

3. We should be kind to others, because everybody has problems.
A. We should be kind to others
B. because everybody has problems
C. to others
D. everybody has problems

4. When we are young, we think we will live forever; as we grow older, we consider our mortality.
A. When we are young; we think we will live forever
B. we think we will live forever; we consider our mortality
C. When we are young; as we grow older
D. as we grow older; we consider our mortality

5. Although he did not like him, he did respect his opponent.
A. he did respect his opponent
B. his opponent
C. he did not like him
D. Although he did not like him

6. My cousin David was always taller than my brother Mark was.
A. than my brother Mark was
B. My cousin David was
C. David was always taller
D. taller than my brother Mark

7. “No other President ever enjoyed the presidency as I did.” (Theodore Roosevelt)
A. ever enjoyed the presidency
B. as I did
C. No other President
D. enjoyed the presidency

8. “A friend is one who has the same enemies as you have.” (Abraham Lincoln)
A. A friend is one; as you have
B. A friend is one; who has the same enemies
C. who has the same enemies; as you have
D. the same enemies; you have

9. I know that you all studied this material.
A. this material
B. I know that you all
C. you all studied this material
D. that you all studied this material

10. I wonder what you think of this idea.
A. what you think of this idea
B. of this idea
C. you think
D. I wonder

Answers – Identifying Dependent Clauses

1. D: Both B and C are dependent clauses. “That he usually took” cannot stand on its own because it begins with the subordinating conjunction “that.” This indicates that the clause is subordinate to (and modifies) the independent clause, which is “Joel missed the bus.” Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses. Even without “that,” this clause would still be dependent because “he usually took” contains a transitive verb, “took,” which requires an object. In this case, the object is “bus.” “Took” modifies “bus,” which is part of the independent clause, not the dependent one. “So he took the next one” is also dependent and begins with the subordinating conjunction “so.” This conjunction connects the clauses “Joel missed the bus…” and “he took the next one.” Without “so,” the clause “he took the next one” would be independent, and could stand on its own as a complete sentence.

2. A: This is a dependent or subordinate clause because it begins with the conditional subordinating conjunction “If,” signaling that “we knew what it was we were doing” is dependent on the independent clause “it would not be called research, would it?” Without the added question “would it?” the clause “it would not be called research” is still independent. Without the addition of “If,” the clause “we knew what it was we were doing” by itself would be an independent clause.

3. B: The subordinating conjunction “because” begins the subordinate or dependent clause, indicating its dependency on the independent main clause, “We should be kind to others.” Without the subordinating “because” before it, “Everybody has problems” is an independent clause. “To others” is not a dependent clause but a prepositional phrase modifying “be kind.” A clause has a subject and a verb.

4. C: Both “When we are young” and “as we grow older” are adverbial dependent clauses. “We are young” would be an independent clause by itself, but with the addition of the adverb “When” indicating time and functioning as a subordinating conjunction, it is dependent on (and modifies) the independent clause “we think we will live forever.” The dependent clause “as we grow older” begins with the subordinating conjunction “as,” indicating manner. Without it, “we grow older” would be an independent clause. “As we grow older” depends upon and modifies the second independent clause, “we consider our mortality.”

5. D: The dependent clause begins with the subordinating adverb “Although,” indicating concession. This subordinate (dependent) clause depends on and modifies the independent main clause, “He did respect his opponent.” “His opponent” is not a dependent clause but an object of the verb “respect.” Clauses have a subject and predicate, whether they are dependent or independent. “He did not like him” is an independent clause, as it could be a sentence by itself.

6. A: This dependent or subordinate clause is the comparative type, also called a comparative clause. It follows the comparative form “taller” of the adjective “tall” and begins with the subordinating conjunction “than.” “My cousin David was” is not a dependent or independent clause, but rather a fragment. It contains a subject (David), but only the copula (linking verb) “was” without its complement (“taller”). “David was always taller” is an independent clause (a complete sentence). “Taller than my brother Mark” is a comparative phrase that is a sentence fragment because it has no verb.

7. B: In this quotation, “as I did” is a comparative dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction “as.” It is a clause because it contains a subject and a verb. Without the introductory “as,” “I did” could be an independent clause (a complete sentence). “Ever enjoyed the presidency” is not a clause because it has no subject, only an adverb, a transitive verb, and its object. This makes it a phrase. “No other President” is also a phrase because it has no verb, only a noun and a modifying adverb and adjective. “Enjoyed the presidency” is a phrase as well because it has no subject, only a transitive verb, article, and object.

8. C: This quotation has two dependent or subordinate clauses, one embedded inside the other. “A friend is one” is an independent clause with a subject and a predicate. The first, outer subordinate clause is “who has the same enemies as you have.” This dependent clause is a relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun “who.” Embedded within this clause is a second dependent clause, “as you have,” which is a comparative clause modifying “enemies” that is introduced by the comparative subordinator “as.” “The same enemies” is an object phrase of the verb “has.”

9. D: The dependent clause in this sentence is a nominal clause or noun clause. It takes the position of the direct object of the independent clause “I know.” The introductory subordinator “that” prevents the noun clause from being an independent clause. Without “that,” the clause “you all studied this material” would be a sentence (an independent clause). “This material” is not a clause but a phrase consisting of an article and a noun. There is no verb. “I know that you all” is not a clause because it contains only a fragment of the direct object of the main verb “know.” It is introduced by the subordinator “that” and the object clause’s subject “you,” which is modified by “all.” However, there is no verb for “you,” making it incomplete.

10. A: The independent clause is “I wonder.” The verb “wonder” has a direct object in the form of a nominal or noun clause, which is a dependent clause. “What you think of this idea” could not stand alone as a sentence. “You think of this idea” could be an independent clause and therefore a sentence (though its meaning would differ compared to how it is used in this sentence). The addition of the introductory subordinator “what” makes the clause dependent by indicating that it is an object of another clause. “Of this idea” is not a clause but a prepositional phrase modifying “think.” “You think” is an independent clause and a complete sentence with a subject and a verb.

 

Last Updated: June 4, 2019