An independent clause is made up of a subject and a verb and is a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence. An independent clause is made up of: subject + verb (+ complement)

Many Japanese high school students attend four-year universities.

Some students study hard, but many students just loaf.

A dependent clause has a subordinator such as when, while, if, that, or who. A dependent clause cannot stand on its own as a sentence, but must be attached to an independent clause. A dependent clause is made up of a: subordinator + subject + verb (+ complement)

. . . although many Japanese high school students attend four year universities . . .

. . . although some students study hard . . .

. . . because many students just loaf . . .

Practice: identifying dependent from independent clauses

Write I next to the independent clauses and put a period after them. Write D next to the dependent clauses.

1. Jet lag affects most long-distance travellers
2. Which is simply the urge to sleep at inappropriate times
3. During long journeys through several time zones, the body's inner clock is disrupted
4. For some reason, travel from west to east causes greater jet lag than travel from east to west
5. Also, changes in work schedules can cause jet lag
6. When hospital nurses change from a day shift to a night shift, for example
7. Although there is no sure way to prevent jet lag
8. There are some ways to minimize it
9. Because jet lag is caused at least partially by loss of sleep, not just a change in the time of sleep
10. A traveller should plan to arrive at his or her destination as late as possible
11. Upon arriving he or she should immediately go to bed
12. Then the traveller should start to live in the new time frame immediately

From Writing Academic English 3rd Edition by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, White Plains, NY: Addison Wesley Longman, 1999.