Which of the following sentences contains both an independent clause and a subordinate clause?
A. Coiled under a rock was a large rattlesnake.
B. When he finished eating, Manny cleared his plate.
C. Lila yelled for help, and someone came to rescue her.
D. The children scrambled up the ladder and slid down the chute.
A = only one clause
B = two clauses
C = two clauses
D = only one clause
So which do you think? B or C?
To determine which of the given sentences contains both an independent clause and a subordinate clause, let's first understand the definition of each.
An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence and express a complete thought.
A subordinate clause, also known as a dependent clause, is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and depends on the main clause to complete its meaning.
Now, let's analyze each of the given sentences:
A. "Coiled under a rock was a large rattlesnake."
This sentence contains only an independent clause. It expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
B. "When he finished eating, Manny cleared his plate."
This sentence contains both an independent clause ("Manny cleared his plate") and a subordinate clause ("When he finished eating"). The independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, while the subordinate clause depends on the main clause to make sense.
C. "Lila yelled for help, and someone came to rescue her."
This sentence contains two independent clauses ("Lila yelled for help" and "someone came to rescue her") connected by the coordinating conjunction "and". There is no subordinate clause in this sentence.
D. "The children scrambled up the ladder and slid down the chute."
This sentence contains two independent clauses ("The children scrambled up the ladder" and "slid down the chute") connected by the coordinating conjunction "and". There is no subordinate clause in this sentence.
So, the correct answer is B. "When he finished eating, Manny cleared his plate."