Understanding Dependent Clauses in English Grammar In the sentence, "Because I forgot my backpack, I had to run home," the phrase "Because I forgot my backpack" is a dependent clause (also known as a subordinate clause) because it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Step-by-Step Breakdown Identifying Clauses: A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. It can be: Independent Clause: A clause that can stand alone as a sentence. Example: "I had to run home." Dependent (or Subordinate) Clause: A clause that cannot stand alone as a full sentence. It depends on an independent clause to provide complete meaning. Example: "Because I forgot my backpack." Why is it a Dependent Clause? It begins with a subordinating conjunction, in this case, "Because." It presents a situation (forgetting the backpack) but does not express a complete thought. To be complete, it requires additional information provided by the independent clause ("I had to run home"). Examples: Independent Clause: "I like ice cream." Dependent Clause: "When I go to the store." (This cannot stand alone and needs an independent clause to make sense, e.g., "I buy ice cream when I go to the store.") Conclusion In summary, "Because I forgot my backpack" is a dependent clause because it does not express a complete thought and relies on the independent clause to form a complete sentence. Further Exploration For additional information on clauses, you may refer to the following resources: Purdue OWL: Clauses Grammarly Blog: Dependent Clauses Merriam-Webster: Independent vs. Dependent Clauses