Independent and Dependent Clauses Lesson Plan

Lesson overview and objectives

This plan covers one lesson of about 50 to 60 minutes for middle school, secondary, or adult writers who already know what a subject and a verb are. It builds toward correct punctuation of sentences with more than one clause and the avoidance of common errors such as fragments and comma splices.

Content objective: Students will identify independent and dependent clauses and combine them into correctly punctuated sentences.

Language objectives: Students will be able to:

• explain, using the terms “subject,” “verb,” and “complete thought,” why a clause is independent or dependent;
• combine two clauses with a coordinating conjunction or a subordinating conjunction;
• revise a fragment, comma splice, or run-on sentence.

For more ways to word objectives, see these language objective examples.

Materials: sentence strips or a slide, a sorting worksheet, mini whiteboards, a short paragraph with errors for revision.

Key terms to teach

• Clause: a group of words with a subject and a verb.
• Independent clause: a clause that has a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence. Example: The bus arrived.
• Dependent clause: a clause that has a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone. It often begins with a subordinating word such as because, although, when, if, while, since, after, or unless. Example: Because the bus arrived late. (More models are in because sentences examples.)
• Coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (often remembered as FANBOYS). They join two independent clauses, usually with a comma before the conjunction.
• Subordinating conjunctions: words that turn a clause into a dependent clause and link it to an independent one.

Keep the vocabulary list short. Students tend to understand the “complete thought” test better after seeing many examples than after hearing the definition once.

Timed lesson plan

Sorting activity: independent or dependent?

Give students a mixed set and ask them to mark each one I (independent) or D (dependent):

1. The students finished the test. (I)
2. Although the students finished the test. (D)
3. We stayed inside. (I)
4. Because it was raining. (D)
5. When the bell rang. (D)
6. She opened the window. (I)
7. If you study tonight. (D)
8. The library closes at six. (I)

Ask students to explain at least two answers aloud, using the words “subject,” “verb,” and “complete thought.” Pay attention to number 2: it has a subject and a verb, yet it is dependent because of the word “although.”

Punctuating combined clauses

Show three patterns, ideally on a slide with the punctuation highlighted.

1. Two independent clauses joined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction. The bus arrived late, so we missed the start.

2. Two independent clauses joined with a semicolon. The bus arrived late; we missed the start.

3. A dependent clause plus an independent clause.

• Dependent clause first, followed by a comma: Because the bus arrived late, we missed the start.
• Independent clause first, usually no comma: We missed the start because the bus arrived late.

A semicolon can also come before a conjunctive adverb such as however or therefore, which is usually followed by a comma: The bus arrived late; therefore, we missed the start. Introduce this only with stronger groups.

Practice: give students pairs such as “It was cold” and “we wore coats,” and ask them to combine them in three different ways.

Fixing fragments, comma splices, and run-ons

Use a short paragraph with deliberate errors, such as:

Because the road was closed. We took another route, it added thirty minutes. We arrived late nobody minded.

Ask students to find and fix each error:

• Fragment: Because the road was closed. It is a dependent clause standing alone. Fix by joining it to the next clause: Because the road was closed, we took another route.
• Comma splice: We took another route, it added thirty minutes. Two independent clauses are joined only by a comma. Fix with a period, a semicolon, or a conjunction: We took another route, and it added thirty minutes.
• Run-on (fused sentence): We arrived late nobody minded. Two independent clauses have no punctuation. Fix with a period or a semicolon: We arrived late; nobody minded.

There is often more than one acceptable correction, so ask students to justify their choice.

Differentiation and extension

• Support: limit the lesson to independent vs dependent identification, use colour coding, and provide a list of subordinating conjunctions.
• Challenge: introduce relative clauses (“who,” “which,” “that”) and ask students to write a paragraph using one of each clause type, with a coordinating and a subordinating conjunction.
• Writing transfer: ask students to revise a paragraph from their own writing, combining short choppy sentences.

Exit ticket and assessment

Use a short exit ticket:

1. Write one independent clause and one dependent clause about your weekend.
2. Combine them into one correctly punctuated sentence.
3. Fix this sentence: I like soccer, I play it every day.

Look for whether students can justify their answers using the subject-verb-complete-thought test. In a follow-up lesson, assess with a short paragraph revision.

Related lessons

Students who struggle with clause structure sometimes also struggle with verb forms inside the clauses. An irregular verbs lesson plan can serve as a supporting lesson.