Types of Clause : Independent and Dependent Clause

Subject: 

English Language

Class :

Primary 5 / Basic 5

Term:

Second Term

Week:

Week 5

Topic :

Types of Clause : Independent and Dependent Clause

Learning Objectives :

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to

1. Explain the meaning of the term : clause
2. Differentiate between independent clause and Dependent Clause
3. Identify independent and dependent clauses in sentences

Learning Activities

1. Pupils in small groups, as a class, brainstorm on the meaning of clauses
2. Pupils in pairs, are guided to differentiate between independent and dependent clause
3. Pupils in small groups, study a short passage to bring out both independent and Dependent clauses

Embedded Core Skills

1. Communication and Collaboration
2. Critical thinking and problem solving
3. Leadership skills and Personal Development
4. Creativity and Imagination

Learning Materials

• Charts
• Flash cards
• Textbook
• Web Resources
• Workbook on modal auxiliaries and examples of requests
• Whiteboard and markers for examples and practice exercises

Content

Types of Clause : Independent and Dependent Clause

A dependent clause, also known as a subordinate clause, is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but is not a complete thought. This type of clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and is typically identified by specific marker words. For example, “When Babajide studied in the Breadfruit for his biology quiz” is a dependent clause, it does not give a complete thought as the sentence is incomplete and leaves a question, “What happened when he studied?”

Difference Between Dependent and Independent Clauses

1. Independent clauses express a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence, while dependent clauses do not express a complete thought and must be connected to an independent clause to form a complete sentence.
2. Independent clauses contain a subject and a predicate, while dependent clauses contain a subject and a predicate but do not convey a complete idea.
3. Independent clauses are also called main clauses, while dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses.
4. Independent clauses are usually marked by punctuation such as a period, exclamation point, or question mark, while dependent clauses are often marked by specific marker words such as “because,” “although,” “when,” “if,” etc.
5. The word order in independent clauses is usually subject-verb-object, while in dependent clauses it can be different, it could start with the dependent marker word.
6. Independent clauses can be used to form compound and complex sentences, while dependent clauses cannot be used alone to form a sentence. They need to be connected to independent clauses to form a complete sentence.
7. An example of an independent clause is “I am happy,” while an example of a dependent clause is “because I am happy.”
8. In summary, independent clauses are complete sentences with a subject and a predicate that can stand alone, while dependent clauses have a subject and a predicate but cannot stand alone and require an independent clause to complete the thought.

Evaluation

1. Which of the following best describes an independent clause? a) A group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought b) A group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought c) A group of words that does not contain a subject or verb
2. What is the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause? a) Independent clauses express a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence, while dependent clauses do not express a complete thought and must be connected to an independent clause to form a complete sentence. b) Independent clauses contain a subject and a predicate, while dependent clauses do not contain either a subject or a predicate. c) Independent clauses are longer than dependent clauses
3. What is another name for an independent clause? a) Subordinate clause b) Main clause c) Compound clause
4. What type of punctuation is typically used to mark an independent clause? a) Comma b) Semicolon c) Period, exclamation point, or question mark
5. What type of marker word is often used to identify a dependent clause? a) Because b) Although c) When
6. How is the word order in an independent clause different from that in a dependent clause? a) Independent clauses have a subject-verb-object word order, while dependent clauses have a different word order b) Independent clauses have a subject-verb word order, while dependent clauses have a subject-verb-object word order c) They are the same.
7. Can dependent clauses be used to form compound or complex sentences? a) Yes b) No
8. An independent clause is also known as a: a) subordinate clause b) main clause c) compound clause
9. In which type of clause, the thought is complete and can stand alone as a sentence? a) dependent clause b) independent clause
10. Can a dependent clause be a sentence by itself? a) Yes b) No

Answers: 1. (a), 2. (a), 3. (b), 4. (c), 5. (a), 6. (a), 7. (b), 8. (b), 9. (b), 10. (b)

Fill the gaps

1. An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and ________ a complete thought.
2. A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not ________ a complete thought.
3. Independent clauses are also known as ________ clauses.
4. Dependent clauses are also known as ________ clauses.
5. Independent clauses are typically marked by ________ such as a period, exclamation point, or question mark.
6. Dependent clauses are often marked by specific ________ words such as “because,” “although,” “when,” “if,” etc.
7. The word order in independent clauses is usually subject-verb-object, while in dependent clauses it can be ________.
8. Independent clauses can be used to form ________ and complex sentences.
9. An example of an independent clause is “I am happy,” while an example of a dependent clause is “________ I am happy.”
10. To form a complete sentence dependent clauses need to be connected to ________ clauses.

Answers:

1. expresses
2. express
3. main
4. subordinate
5. punctuation
6. marker
7. different
8. compound
9. “because”
10. independent

Examples of Dependent Clauses in Sentences (The words in brackets are dependent clauses) 

1. When the alarm went off, I woke up. (When the alarm went off)
2. Although it was raining, we decided to go for a walk. (Although it was raining)
3. Because I am tired, I will go to bed early. (Because I am tired)
4. Since we have time, we can stop for lunch. (Since we have time)
5. While she was cooking, the kitchen filled with smoke. (While she was cooking)
6. If you don’t study, you will fail the exam. (If you don’t study)
7. After we finish the project, we can go out for a celebration. (After we finish the project)
8. Although the weather was bad, we still went on the hike. (Although the weather was bad)
9. When the phone rang, I was in the middle of a meeting. (When the phone rang)
10. Although she was feeling ill, she still went to work. (Although she was feeling ill)

Examples of Independent Clauses in Sentences (The words in brackets are independent clauses)

1. I woke up when the alarm went off. (I woke up)
2. We decided to go for a walk although it was raining. (We decided to go for a walk)
3. I will go to bed early because I am tired. (I will go to bed early)
4. We can stop for lunch since we have time. (We can stop for lunch)
5. The kitchen filled with smoke while she was cooking. (The kitchen filled with smoke)
6. You will fail the exam if you don’t study. (You will fail the exam)
7. We can go out for a celebration after we finish the project. (We can go out for a celebration)
8. We still went on the hike although the weather was bad. (We still went on the hike)
9. I was in the middle of a meeting when the phone rang. (I was in the middle of a meeting)
10. She still went to work although she was feeling ill. (She still went to work)

Fill the gaps with the right words too complete the following dependent and independent clauses 

1. When the alarm went off, ________ woke up.
2. Although it was raining, ________ decided to go for a walk.
3. Because I am tired, ________ will go to bed early.
4. Since we have time, ________ can stop for lunch.
5. While she was cooking, ________ filled with smoke.
6. If you don’t study, ________ will fail the exam.
7. After we finish the project, ________ can go out for a celebration.
8. Although the weather was bad, ________ still went on the hike.
9. When the phone rang, ________ was in the middle of a meeting.
10. Although she was feeling ill, ________ still went to work.

Answers:

1. I
2. we
3. I
4. we
5. the kitchen
6. you
7. we
8. we
9. I
10. she

Lesson Presentation

Introduction (5 minutes):

• Begin by reviewing the definition of a clause, which is a grammatical unit that contains a subject and a predicate.
• Introduce the two main types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses.

Direct Instruction (15 minutes):

• Provide examples of independent clauses and have students identify the subject and predicate.
• Provide examples of dependent clauses and have students identify the subject and predicate and explain how the clause is not a complete thought.
• Discuss how independent clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence, while dependent clauses cannot.
• Highlight the specific marker words that are often used to identify dependent clauses (such as “because,” “although,” “when,” “if,” etc.).
• Explain how independent clauses can be used to form compound and complex sentences.

Guided Practice (15 minutes):

• Provide students with examples of sentences that contain both independent and dependent clauses, and have them underline the independent and dependent clauses in each sentence.
• Have students work in pairs to create their own sentences that contain both independent and dependent clauses.

Independent Practice (15 minutes):

• Provide students with a set of sentences and have them identify whether each sentence is an independent clause or a dependent clause.
• Have students identify the subject and predicate in each sentence.

Closure (5 minutes):

• Review the key points of the lesson, and have students share any examples of independent and dependent clauses they created during guided practice.
• Assign homework to review the concepts learned in the class.

Assessment:

• Observe students during independent practice to check their understanding of identifying independent and dependent clauses.
• Collect and grade the homework assignments.
• Use the formative assessment data to adjust instruction and prepare for the summative assessment.