Question
Is a main clause and a dependent or independent clause
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
A main clause is another term for an independent clause. It contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought, meaning it can stand alone as a sentence.
On the other hand, a dependent clause (or subordinate clause) also contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence and often begins with a subordinating conjunction (like "because," "although," "if," etc.) or a relative pronoun (like "who," "which," "that," etc.).
For example:
- **Main (independent) clause:** "She enjoys reading."
- **Dependent clause:** "Although she enjoys reading."
In a sentence, you might combine them: "Although she enjoys reading, she doesn't have much time for it." In this case, "Although she enjoys reading" is the dependent clause, while "she doesn't have much time for it" is the main (independent) clause.
On the other hand, a dependent clause (or subordinate clause) also contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence and often begins with a subordinating conjunction (like "because," "although," "if," etc.) or a relative pronoun (like "who," "which," "that," etc.).
For example:
- **Main (independent) clause:** "She enjoys reading."
- **Dependent clause:** "Although she enjoys reading."
In a sentence, you might combine them: "Although she enjoys reading, she doesn't have much time for it." In this case, "Although she enjoys reading" is the dependent clause, while "she doesn't have much time for it" is the main (independent) clause.