Dependent and Independent Clauses | Worksheet - Free Printable

It looks like you've uploaded a worksheet titled "Dependent and Independent Clauses" that includes definitions, examples, and 14 practice sentences. Your task is to identify the dependent clause in each sentence and highlight the independent clause.

Let’s go through this step by step.

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🔹 Definitions Recap:

- Independent Clause: A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
- Dependent Clause: A group of words that has a subject and a predicate but cannot stand alone. It usually begins with a subordinating conjunction (e.g., *because, although, when, since, if, while, until, after, before, unless, so that, even though*).

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✔ Instructions:

For each sentence:
1. Identify the dependent clause (usually starts with a subordinating conjunction).
2. Highlight the independent clause (the part that can stand alone).

We'll analyze each sentence one by one.

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📝 Sentence-by-Sentence Analysis:

1. Physical exercise and heart entertainment are activities that people have used as stress-reducers for over a century.

- Dependent Clause: *that people have used as stress-reducers for over a century*
- Independent Clause: *Physical exercise and heart entertainment are activities*

✔️ Highlight: Physical exercise and heart entertainment are activities

2. Although the piano player is well known, he was not asked to play at the event this Saturday evening.

- Dependent Clause: *Although the piano player is well known*
- Independent Clause: *he was not asked to play at the event this Saturday evening*

✔️ Highlight: he was not asked to play at the event this Saturday evening

3. Before Chadwick Boseman began his acting career, he studied directing at Howard University.

- Dependent Clause: *Before Chadwick Boseman began his acting career*
- Independent Clause: *he studied directing at Howard University*

✔️ Highlight: he studied directing at Howard University

4. Since the canal was drained of water, there has decreased. The supply will probably go down.

✘ This sentence seems unclear or possibly incorrect. "There has decreased" is not grammatically correct. It should likely be something like *"The water level has decreased."* But assuming it's meant to say:

> "Since the canal was drained of water, the water level has decreased. The supply will probably go down."

Then:
- Dependent Clause: *Since the canal was drained of water*
- Independent Clause: *the water level has decreased*

✔️ Highlight: the water level has decreased

*(Note: The second sentence “The supply will probably go down” is also independent and could be its own sentence.)*

5. I need to return to the store because I forgot my essential supplies for our Hawaiian pizza.

- Dependent Clause: *because I forgot my essential supplies for our Hawaiian pizza*
- Independent Clause: *I need to return to the store*

✔️ Highlight: I need to return to the store

6. When Savannah records events and reminders in her planner, she is more organized for the week ahead.

- Dependent Clause: *When Savannah records events and reminders in her planner*
- Independent Clause: *she is more organized for the week ahead*

✔️ Highlight: she is more organized for the week ahead

7. As soon as we crossed the bridge, we saw the picturesque view of the surly rays sparkling on the water.

- Dependent Clause: *As soon as we crossed the bridge*
- Independent Clause: *we saw the picturesque view of the surly rays sparkling on the water*

✔️ Highlight: we saw the picturesque view of the surly rays sparkling on the water

8. Jason, who was intrigued by the introduction video, decided to enroll in the leadership training program.

- Dependent Clause: *who was intrigued by the introduction video* (relative clause)
- Independent Clause: *Jason decided to enroll in the leadership training program*

✔️ Highlight: Jason decided to enroll in the leadership training program

9. We walked on the boardwalk until the thunderous clouds rolled in.

- Dependent Clause: *until the thunderous clouds rolled in*
- Independent Clause: *We walked on the boardwalk*

✔️ Highlight: We walked on the boardwalk

10. The team's chances of making the playoffs increased dramatically when their division rivals lost big games at home.

- Dependent Clause: *when their division rivals lost big games at home*
- Independent Clause: *The team's chances of making the playoffs increased dramatically*

✔️ Highlight: The team's chances of making the playoffs increased dramatically

11. Because anime travel is expensive for a family of five, we usually cruise into our family vehicle for road trips.

- Dependent Clause: *Because anime travel is expensive for a family of five*
- Independent Clause: *we usually cruise into our family vehicle for road trips*

✔️ Highlight: we usually cruise into our family vehicle for road trips

*(Note: "anime travel" may be a typo — perhaps meant to be "airline travel"? But we’ll proceed as written.)*

12. Each year, around three million people visit Mount Rushmore, which is a colossal sculpture carved into granite in the Black Hills in South Dakota.

- Dependent Clause: *which is a colossal sculpture carved into granite in the Black Hills in South Dakota* (relative clause)
- Independent Clause: *Each year, around three million people visit Mount Rushmore*

✔️ Highlight: Each year, around three million people visit Mount Rushmore

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✔ Final Answer Summary (for your worksheet):

| Sentence | Dependent Clause | Independent Clause (Highlighted) |
|--------|------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1 | that people have used as stress-reducers for over a century | Physical exercise and heart entertainment are activities |
| 2 | Although the piano player is well known | he was not asked to play at the event this Saturday evening |
| 3 | Before Chadwick Boseman began his acting career | he studied directing at Howard University |
| 4 | Since the canal was drained of water | the water level has decreased |
| 5 | because I forgot my essential supplies for our Hawaiian pizza | I need to return to the store |
| 6 | When Savannah records events and reminders in her planner | she is more organized for the week ahead |
| 7 | As soon as we crossed the bridge | we saw the picturesque view of the surly rays sparkling on the water |
| 8 | who was intrigued by the introduction video | Jason decided to enroll in the leadership training program |
| 9 | until the thunderous clouds rolled in | We walked on the boardwalk |
| 10 | when their division rivals lost big games at home | The team's chances of making the playoffs increased dramatically |
| 11 | Because anime travel is expensive for a family of five | we usually cruise into our family vehicle for road trips |
| 12 | which is a colossal sculpture carved into granite in the Black Hills in South Dakota | Each year, around three million people visit Mount Rushmore |

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💡 Tips for Future:

- Look for subordinating conjunctions like *although, because, when, since, before, after, until, as soon as, if, while, even though, unless, so that*.
- Relative clauses starting with *who, whom, whose, which, that* are also dependent.
- The independent clause is the main idea and can stand alone as a sentence.

Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer key!