An independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own as a distinct sentence or it can be combined with other clauses.

Independent clauses are not long or complex sentences and are referred to as simple sentences.

Examples

• My dog barks a lot.
• His car is red.
• The kids ate lunch.
• He is a wise man.

Independent clauses can join with a dependent clause or other independent clauses to make a complex sentence.

Examples

• She walked to the supermarket store to buy a bouquet of flowers.
• bought a new computer because she needed one.