An Independent Clause is defined as

• A. A dependent clause that cannot stand alone
• B. A full sentence pattern that does not function within another sentence pattern. Can stand alone
• C. A phrase that modifies a noun
• D. A clause that expresses a condition

Answer: (B)

An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence because it has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It doesn’t rely on any other clause to make sense. This distinguishes it from a dependent clause, which cannot stand alone and needs another clause to complete its meaning, and from a phrase, which lacks both a subject and a predicate and thus isn’t a complete sentence. A description that matches this idea says the clause forms a full sentence pattern that can stand alone. For example, “The dog barked” contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a complete thought, so it can function on its own.