it wants me to add an independent or dependent clause........they chose which clause to use, ex. when the student artist showed his work to the teacher......I'm to add an independant clause......I don't know what they're asking.....

An independent clause is a group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone.

Examples of independent clauses:

The student artist showed his work to the teacher.

She praised him.

Nothing happened.

She sat under the tree munching on an apple.

A dependent clause can not stand alone, although it has a subject and verb.

Examples of dependent clauses:

when the student artist showed his work to the teacher

although she praised him

who is my best friend

while lazily watching the clouds

You can combine independent and dependent clauses this way.

When the student artist showed his work to the teacher, she praised him.

She sat under the tree munching on an apple while lazily watching the clouds.

Mary who is my best friend, is captain of the cheerleaders.

She sat under the tree munching on an apple while she lazily watched the clouds.