Question

A dependent clause is one which:

• A. Is a complete utterance
• B. Can stand alone
• C. Is an incomplete utterance
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Is an incomplete utterance

A dependent clause (also called a subordinate clause) is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. Therefore, it cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Examples:

• Because I was tired (← This needs more information to be complete.)

• Although she studied hard (← This is incomplete on its own.)

In contrast, an independent clause is a complete sentence or utterance and can stand alone.