INDEPENDENT & DEPENDENT CLAUSES: COORDINATION & SUBORDINATION

一个独立的人是一个能自己解决问题的人, take care of his own needs, stand on his own two feet, so to speak. An independent clause (从句是包含至少一个主语和一个动词的一组词)是一个可以独立地站立的词. You can join independent clauses if you want to. This is called coordination.

一个依赖的人是指需要从另一个更独立的人那里得到帮助的人. A dependent person needs to lean on someone stronger. A dependent clause 一个不能自立的人——它需要一个吗 independent clause to lean on. You must join a dependent clause to an independent one. This is called subordination.

Independent clauses are strong
把独立从句比作理想的室友:她自己打扫卫生, pays her share of the bills, never forgets to turn off the iron, and can fix a leaky faucet. 就像理想的室友一样，一个独立的条款没有任何东西可以独立存在. 例如，以下每个独立子句都可以单独存在:

珍妮弗去参加聚会之前，在浴室的水龙头上装了一台新洗衣机.
Mai figured out how to fix the garbage disposal.

The clauses above contain a subject and a verb, and they finish the thought they have started; they are complete simple sentences. For the sake of variety, however, 你会经常想要用并列来组合简单句来创建复合句. You can choose one of two methods:

• Join two independent clauses with a semicolon.
• 用逗号和并列连词连接两个独立分句.

最常用的并列连词通常被称为FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). 当你在独立子句之间使用FANBOYS时, 你表明这两个分句是相等的(有点像两个独立的室友是相等的). 这两种协调方法说明如下:

珍妮弗去参加聚会之前，在浴室的水龙头上装了一台新洗衣机; Mai figured out how to fix the garbage disposal.

珍妮弗去参加聚会之前，在浴室的水龙头上装了一台新洗衣机, and Mai figured out how to fix the garbage disposal.

如果您选择使用分号来协调两个独立的子句，您还有另一种选择. 你可以选择在分号之后加一个连接副词(后面跟一个逗号——这个副词的作用很像一个介绍性短语):

珍妮弗去参加聚会之前，在浴室的水龙头上装了一台新洗衣机; moreover, Mai figured out how to fix the garbage disposal.

连接副词增加意思或澄清两个分句之间的关系. 看看选择一个不同的连接副词是如何微妙地改变这对的意思的:

珍妮弗去参加聚会之前，在浴室的水龙头上装了一台新洗衣机; however, Mai figured out how to fix the garbage disposal.

使用适当的标点符号(是的，标点符号很重要)的模式如下:

Coordinating Independent Clauses
Method 1 Semicolon	Independent clause	;	Independent clause
Semicolon with conjunctive adverb and comma	Independent clause	;moreover, ;however, ;consequently, ;indeed, ;nevertheless, ;therefore,	Independent clause
Method 2 Comma and coordinating conjunction	Independent clause	, for , and , nor , but , or , yet , so	Independent clause

 

(Note: Do not 试着用一个简单的逗号连接两个独立的分句. This error is called a comma splice. Furthermore, do not 试着用一个并列连词来连接两个独立的从句，省略逗号. This error is called a run-on. 有关这些错误的更多信息，请参阅TIP Sheet逗号拼接和连用句.)

Dependent clauses are needy
In contrast to an independent clause, a dependent clause is incomplete; it is a type of sentence fragment. (For more information, see the TIP Sheet Fragments.) A dependent clause may contain a subject and a verb, but it begins a thought that it doesn't finish:

Because Amy left the iron on.
When the firemen arrived at the dorm.

使上述从句具有依赖性的词应该受到责备的是词 because and when. 好奇的人想知道，让熨斗开着会发生什么? 当消防队员到达宿舍时发生了什么? 就像需要帮助的室友一样，这些从属从句需要依靠一些更有力的东西. 在下面的例子中，我们增加了独立分句，以供从属分句依赖:

The dorm's obsolete wiring melted and started a fire because Amy left the iron on.
Jennifer and Mai had already put out the fire when the firemen arrive at the dorm.

当您将从属子句连接到独立子句时，您不是在连接等号. 由此产生的句子(独立分句)的一侧更强, and the other side (the dependent clause) is weaker, or subordinate. (If you are a subordinate at work, you do as you're told.用来连接不相等的子句对的词叫做 subordinating conjunctions.

But even here you have choices. 仅仅因为独立从句更强，它并不一定要总是放在前面. (有时强壮的人会把门打开，让拄拐杖的人先进去.) You could just as well write the following:

因为艾米没关电熨头，宿舍里过时的电线融化了，引起了一场大火.
当消防员到达宿舍时，詹妮弗和麦已经把火扑灭了.

关于从属关系，要记住的重要一点是，标点的不同取决于独立从句还是从属从句先“进入”. If the dependent clause is first (again, rather like an introduction to the main clause), 后面跟一个逗号(就像这个句子和下一个句子). 如果独立子句出现在前面，则没有标点将两者分开.

加上适当的标点符号，句型如下:

Subordinating Dependent Clauses
Method 1 Independent clause first	Independent clause	(No punctuation)	Dependent Clause
Method 2 Dependent clause first	Dependent clause	, (comma)	Independent Clause

For variety or to fine-tune meaning, you may choose to combine two independent clauses, 从属的:通过添加从属连词使一个从句从属于另一个从句:

While 詹妮弗在浴室的水龙头上安装了一台新的洗衣机，麦想出了如何修理垃圾处理器的方法.

Jennifer put a new washer in the bathroom faucet since Mai was figuring out how to fix the garbage disposal.

Here is a partial list of subordinating conjunctions. (一些教科书称它们为“依赖构成词”或“依赖标记词”.")

Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after although as (as if) because before even though if	in order that rather than since so that than that though	unless until when whenever whereas whether while

而其他标点规则则适用于特定类型的子句(例如, 关系代词:限制性从句和非限制性从句), 如果你学会区分独立从句和从属从句，并认识从属连词，你将更容易避免写作中一些常见的片段和标点错误.