Independent and Dependent Clauses Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which sentence contains one independent clause and one dependent clause?
The bright lantern glowed beside the door.
Although the line was long, we decided to wait.
Waiting quietly near the crowded entrance.
Leo washed the dishes, and Priya dried them.
2. Which sentence contains two independent clauses?
Maya watered the plants before she left for work.
While Maya watered the plants near the porch.
Maya watered the plants and swept the porch.
Maya watered the plants; Daniel swept the porch.
3. Which statement best defines an independent clause?
It adds information to a sentence but has no subject.
It begins with a subordinating word and cannot stand alone.
It is any group of words containing a verb form.
It contains a subject and predicate and expresses a complete thought.
4. How many clauses are in the sentence “When the bell rang, the students packed their bags, and the teacher closed her laptop”?
Three: one dependent clause and two independent clauses
Two: one dependent clause and one independent clause
Four: two dependent clauses and two independent clauses
Three: two dependent clauses and one independent clause
5. Which word can introduce a dependent clause?
Although
And
Therefore
Nevertheless
6. A writer has only one brother, so the detail that he lives in Denver is nonessential. Which option correctly explains how to punctuate the clause “who lives in Denver”?
Place a comma only after “Denver” because the clause introduces the sentence.
Use no commas because every clause beginning with “who” is essential.
Place commas before “who” and after “Denver” to set off the nonessential clause.
Use a semicolon before “who” because the clause can stand alone.
7. Two ideas need to be combined: “Nora brought an umbrella. Rain was forecast.” Which option correctly makes the forecast a dependent reason clause?
Join the ideas with only a comma: Nora brought an umbrella, rain was forecast.
Reverse the relationship: Because Nora brought an umbrella, rain was forecast.
Nora brought an umbrella because rain was forecast.
Keep both ideas independent: Nora brought an umbrella, and rain was forecast.
8. A student writes, “Because the roads were icy.” Why is this usually considered a sentence fragment?
The word “because” makes the clause depend on another idea for completion.
The word group does not contain a subject.
The word group does not contain a verb.
A complete sentence is never allowed to begin with “because.”
9. What makes a dependent clause different from an independent clause?
A dependent clause never contains both a subject and a verb.
A dependent clause can stand alone when it ends with a period.
A dependent clause must always appear after an independent clause.
A dependent clause has a subject and predicate but does not express a complete thought by itself.
10. Which revision turns “While the audience waited” into a complete sentence?
While the patient audience.
The audience while waiting.
While waiting for the speaker.
While the audience waited, the technicians tested the microphone.
11. In the sentence “I believe that the plan will work,” how does “that the plan will work” function?
As a dependent noun clause serving as the object of “believe”
As an independent clause joined by a coordinating conjunction
As a phrase because it does not contain a predicate
As an independent question embedded in the sentence
12. Which sentence correctly punctuates an introductory dependent clause?
Before sunrise the hikers reached the trailhead.
After the meeting ended, everyone gathered in the lobby.
While the guests waited; the host prepared the table.
Because the elevator was full the visitors, took the stairs.
13. Which option is a dependent-clause fragment rather than a complete sentence?
The train arrived later than expected.
Unless the train arrives before midnight.
We called a taxi, and it came quickly.
The delayed train finally reached the station.
14. In the sentence “We stayed inside because the storm was approaching,” which words form the dependent clause?
We stayed inside
because the storm was approaching
the storm was approaching
stayed inside because the storm
15. Which editing choice uses standard punctuation when the essential reason clause follows the independent clause?
Add a comma after “canceled”: We canceled, the picnic because the rain began.
Add a semicolon before the reason: We canceled the picnic; because the rain began.
Use no comma before “because”: We canceled the picnic because the rain began.
Place commas around the conjunction: We canceled the picnic, because, the rain began.
16. In the sentence “Whenever the alarm sounds, the staff checks every exit,” which words form the independent clause?
Whenever the alarm sounds
the alarm sounds, the staff
the staff checks every exit
checks every exit whenever