Answer and Explanation:
Since there are two different questions, let's answer each one of them at a time.
1. Decide whether each group of words is an independent clause, a dependent clause, or not a clause.
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. A clause MUST contain a verb.
A independent clause is able to express a full thought on its own, making sense even if standing alone.
A dependent clause does not express a full thought on its own. It needs the main clause of the sentence to make sense.
With that in mind, we can easily decide about the groups of words below:
- The smell of the muffins in the oven --> NOT A CLAUSE
- Because I lost my gloves --> DEPENDENT CLAUSE. We need a main clause for it to make sense.
- She served the volleyball over the net. --> INDEPENDENT CLAUSE.
2. Which is a correctly formed compound sentence?
A compound sentence is formed by joining two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction - for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. The right way to punctuate a compound sentence is by placing a comma before the conjunction. Therefore, the correct option is:
Daniel was very excited to watch his favorite team play, but they lost.
