What is a clause?

When we assemble a puzzle, we connect each piece to form a bigger picture. In grammar, clauses are like those puzzle pieces—they come together to build sentences, and they shape the meaning of what we say or write.

But let’s think of a clause as a person. We can think of it as a story-teller who can tell the story on its own, or at times requires some helping hand in finishing the story.

What is a Clause?

A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. It is like a person with thoughts to express. Some clauses can stand tall on their own, and they can make a complete sense and a complete sentence by just adding a period, while others feel incomplete and need more words to feel whole.

For example:

• She laughed. (This clause is independent—it stands on its own, and expresses a complete meaning.)
• Because he was late. (This one feels unfinished—it needs more to make sense.)

Both have a subject (she, he) and a verb (laughed, was), but only the first one is a complete idea. That brings us to two types of clauses.

The Independent Clause As The Self-Sufficient

Imagine a person standing on a stage, telling a full story in one sentence. That’s an independent clause—it doesn’t need anything else to make sense.

• I love reading.
• The sun is shining.
• They went to the park.

Each of these can exist on its own. It’s like a strong, independent person who doesn’t rely on anyone else to complete their thoughts.

The Dependent Clause  As The Sidekick

Now, imagine a character who always starts talking but never quite finishes their thought. They need another person to step in and complete the idea. That’s a dependent clause—it has a subject and verb but leaves you hanging.

• Because I was tired… (And then what? What happened next?)
• Although she tried her best… (We need more details!)
• When the movie ended… (What happened after?)

These clauses depend on an independent clause to make sense—just like a sidekick needs the main character to complete the story.

So next time you write, listen to your clauses. Are they speaking alone, or do they need a little help?