Lesson 2: Independent and Dependent Clauses

Vocabulary flashcards covering simple and complex sentences, independent and dependent clauses, and common dependent marker words.

Simple Sentence

A sentence that consists of just one independent clause and contains no dependent clause.

Independent Clause (IC)

A group of words that contains a subject, verb, and a complete thought.

Dependent Clause (DC)

A group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Dependent Marker Word

A word added to the beginning of an independent clause that turns it into a dependent clause.

AAAWWUBBIS

An acronym representing common dependent clause marker words: After, although, as, when, while, until, because, before, if, since.

Complex Sentence

A sentence formed by combining a dependent clause (DC) with an independent clause (IC).

DC, IC Structure

A complex sentence structure where the dependent clause comes first, followed by a comma and the independent clause.

IC DC Structure

A complex sentence structure where the independent clause comes first, followed directly by the dependent clause without a comma.