“before school even starts” - Dependent Clause “All of my friends are planning for prom” - Independent Clause All of my friends are planning for prom before school even starts, but I just want to plan for some pool days. Here are two examples with each of the clauses explained.ġ. This will help you determine if it is a complete sentence or a run-on. When you see a long sentence on your ACT English test, it’s quite possible that it’s written in a similar pattern as this and is not a run-on! Always pay special attention to the commas and conjunctions that are used. English is a complex language, and there are so many combinations you can create. You can combine all three of these clauses. Independent Clause + Independent Clause + Dependent Clause Williams said my essay needed more work, although he did like my idea. Let’s take a look at this exception in a sentence - Mr. These words create contrast in the sentence, so a comma is needed for more clarity.

*However, when a dependent clause begins with any of the words listed below and follows an independent clause, it will need a comma. No comma - He got to go to the game because he did his homework. When it comes after the independent clause, you will not need a comma (*most of the time).Ĭomma - Because he did his homework, he got to go to the game. It depends where the dependent clause occurs in the sentence. When it comes before the independent clause, always use a comma. In this scenario, which is GUARANTEED to show up on your ACT test, you will either attach the dependent clause to the independent clause with a comma or without a comma. If you use a semicolon, you do not have to capitalize the first letter of the next sentence.Ĭomma and Conjunction - I got coffee, and she got tea. You can use a comma with a conjunction, or you can use a semicolon. If you use a comma and conjunction, the acronym FANBOYS will help you remember the conjunctions (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So). To combine two complete sentences/ independent clauses, you have two options.

Now that you know the two basic types of clauses, you’re ready to learn how put this knowledge into practice! We will go over three independent and/or dependent clause scenarios to show you what to do. This is the reason that dependent clauses are attached to independent clauses, giving us a complete understanding of what’s happening. Here are some examples of dependent clauses:Īll of these examples leave you hanging! He liked my idea… but what? Who was always so quiet… who? While Sarah and Jasmine were cooking… what? OR they begin with relative pronouns: that, which, whoever, whom, who, whose. Dependent clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, because, before, if, once, since, that, unless, until, when, why, etc. It has a subject and verb, but it doesn’t form a main idea. On the other hand, a dependent clause can’t stand on its own. Don’t feel overcomplicate it! Dependent clause If your friend said, “I need to plug my phone in,” you would understand exactly what they meant.Įssentially, this is just a sentence. It doesn’t need anything else to make sense. Think of this as a thought or idea that can stand on its own. This definition of a sentence is helpful in learning how and when to use commas, semicolons, and conjunctions in order to combine sentences. It can also be defined as either an independent clause or a combination of independent and dependent clauses. Let’s get this party started!!Ī sentence is more than just a string of words with a subject and a verb. Here, the compound verb is “drew and sold”Īll right. She drew realistic people and animals and sold her drawings to an art collector. She sold her drawings to an art collector.

When one person is doing two things, there is no need to use a comma and conjunction Sarah, who you met earlier, and Jasmine are going to stay with us. While walking home, Sarah and Jasmine talked about the test. This in particular is one of the English ACT’s tricks. We’ve seen a lot of confusion between these topics, so we’re taking a few seconds to touch on this before we get going.Īny element of a sentence can be compounded however, this does not mean that the entire sentence is compounded and requires a comma or semicolon. This post is about combining sentences, not about combining ELEMENTS of sentences (e.g.

Seicolon fragment definition