Grammar Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on Independent Clauses

Which one of the following is not an example of an independent clause?

A. Maria ate dinner.

B. While Maria ate dinner.

C. Maria ate dinner while watching TV.

D. Maria ate dinner and then went to bed.

Final answer:

An independent clause is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence.

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence. It expresses a complete thought and includes a subject and a predicate. In this case, option B., "While Maria ate dinner", is not an example of an independent clause because it does not express a complete thought and relies on another clause to make sense. The other options (A., C., and D.) all express complete thoughts and are independent clauses.