dependent/independent clause confusion

BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

This topic has expert replies

Post new topic Locked

Previous Topic Next Topic

krishhxa: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 50; Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 7:15 am; Followed by:2 members

dependent/independent clause confusion

by krishhxa » Tue Jan 26, 2016 11:58 pm

Hi,

I have been facing difficulty in identifying dependent clauses of complex sentences.

For eg: https://imgur.com/f3Xh4OC

Kindly view the link above.

1.Don't understand the reason for the first sentence that is from While...piracy before the comma be a dependent clause
2.In the second part of the first sentence post the comma ie others...pirating be an independent clause?

Kindly guide me with the reasons for the above stated queries.

Quote

Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Tue Jan 26, 2016 11:58 pm

GMAT/MBA Expert

ceilidh.erickson: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2095; Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pm; Thanked: 1443 times; Followed by:247 members

by ceilidh.erickson » Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:36 pm

A CLAUSE is any part of a sentence that contains a SUBJECT and a VERB.

If it can stand on its own as a full sentence, it's an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE. In your example sentence, "others suggest the reduction of software prices..." is the independent clause. That could stand on its own as a grammatically complete sentence.

The word WHILE in the 1st part of the sentence creates a DEPENDENT CLAUSE, because "while" suggests a contrast in 2 ideas: "While A..., B..."

Some propose to combat. --> this would be an independent clause, because it could be a fully sentence.

While some propose to combat. --> this would be an incomplete sentence. There's nothing to contrast the "while" part to. Therefore, anything starting with WHILE is a dependent clause.

Likewise, the clause that you highlighted starting with "WHO" is a dependent clause: "...people who copy software illegally." The word WHO is a subject, and COPY is a verb, but the clause can't stand on its own as a full sentence, so it's a dependent clause.

Does that help?

Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education

Quote

GMAT/MBA Expert

Brent@GMATPrepNow: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 16207; Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm; Location: Vancouver, BC; Thanked: 5254 times; Followed by:1268 members; GMAT Score:770