| independent clause |
| Definition:
A group of words that contains a subject and a verb and which expresses a complete thought. In essence, an independent clause is a simple sentence. Note: This is in contrast to the subordinate clause, which is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb, but which does not express a complete thought, thus is not a complete sentence. |
| Example:
(1) Barry ate macaroni for dinner. (this is an independent clause because the thought is complete) (2) While Barry ate macaroni for dinner, …. (this is a subordinate clause, because the thought is incomplete) |