Here's a breakdown:
* Clause: A group of words that contains a subject and a verb.
* Dependent Clause: A clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because it lacks a complete thought. It depends on an independent clause for its meaning.
Examples:
* Dependent Clause: "Because the sun was shining" (This doesn't make sense on its own. What happened because the sun was shining?)
* Independent Clause: "We went to the beach."
* Complete Sentence: "Because the sun was shining, we went to the beach."
Key Features of Dependent Clauses:
* Subordinating Conjunctions: Often start with words like "because," "although," "when," "if," "since," "while," "before," "after," "until," etc.
* Relative Pronouns: Can also begin with words like "who," "whom," "whose," "which," or "that."
Let me know if you'd like more examples or want to explore different types of dependent clauses!