The independent clauses are the ones conveying a full meaning and/or preceded by a coordinate preposition, as opposed to the dependent ones.

Independent clauses:

"The seventh graders held a dance that night, and the eighth graders saw a play."

"Isaac Newton described the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration, and he made discoveries in optics and mathematics."

"Nikki has learned some computer coding, but she also wants to study graphic design."

"The Jayhawks are a favorite in today's game, so a trip to the playoffs could be in their future."

Dependent clauses:

"Even though they were exhausted from their long day."

"To name just a few of his contributions to science."

"Which is being taught at the community center this winter."

"After a huge victory last week."

<h3>What is an independent clause?</h3>

An independent clause contains a subject and a predicate, and it can be preceded by a coordinate conjunction. The coordinate conjunctions are:

Independent clauses convey a complete meaning or a full thought on their own, which means they can be completely understood even if alone. Example:

I saw a movie last night. But I didn't like it.

<h3>What is a dependent clause?</h3>

Dependent clauses do not convey a complete meaning on their own. They follow subordinate conjunctions and need a main clause to complete their meaning. Examples of subordinate conjunctions are: