In English grammar, clauses can be thought of as building blocks of sentences. In English grammar, clauses consist of a verb and a subject (noun). Therefore, even a simple sentence in English will have a clause. It is important to note, clauses can be further divided in to two categories: Independent (main), and dependent (subordinate). Independent clauses can convey a complete thought and can stand on their own. In other words, an independent clause can form a complete sentence. In contrast, dependent clauses does not convey a complete thought and cannot stand on their own. A dependent clause will always need a main clause to support it.