TSA CBT Practice Test

Which type of clause can stand alone as a complete thought?

1. A dependent clause

2. A nonrestrictive clause

3. An independent clause

4. A restrictive clause

The correct answer is: An independent clause

The correct answer is that an independent clause can stand alone as a complete thought. This is because an independent clause contains both a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete idea without needing additional information. For example, in the sentence "She enjoys reading," "She enjoys reading" is an independent clause that effectively conveys a full idea. In contrast, a dependent clause cannot stand alone as it does not express a complete thought and often begins with subordinating conjunctions like "because," "although," or "if." Nonrestrictive and restrictive clauses are types of relative clauses that also cannot stand alone; they provide additional information about a noun but are not complete sentences by themselves. Therefore, it’s the independent clause that has the ability to function on its own as a complete statement.