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Dependent and Independent Clauses

Kristin Fracchia
Lesson by Kristin Fracchia
Magoosh Expert
Summary
Understanding the distinction between dependent and independent clauses is crucial for mastering sentence structure on the ACT English test, as it directly impacts the ability to identify and correct sentence fragments and run-ons.
  • Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as they lack a complete thought and often begin with words like 'who,' 'when,' or 'because.'
  • Independent clauses express a complete thought, contain a subject and a verb, and can stand alone as a sentence.
  • The presence of dependent marker words transforms an independent clause into a dependent one, affecting sentence structure.
  • Recognizing and correctly using dependent and independent clauses is essential for answering questions related to sentence construction and punctuation on the ACT.
  • Examples and test scenarios illustrate how understanding these concepts can help in identifying the correct punctuation and structure in sentences.
Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Clauses
00:42
Identifying Dependent and Independent Clauses
03:51
The Role of Dependent Marker Words
04:43
Applying Knowledge to Test Examples