Monday, September 4, 2017

syntax - Is "This is the only mammal that can fly" an independent clause?


We were taught that an independent clause must have a complete thought/idea.



This is the only mammal that can fly.




How can "This is the only mammal" be treated as an independent clause? It was a grammar lesson and there was no context there. In this situation how can I decide that it is an independent clause? Though for sure, there should be an independent clause in a correct sentence, and the clause starting with 'that' is not independent. But by this way, I can't fit it with the rule that every independent clause must have a complete thought. A simple sentence must have an independent clause. If the sentence has no independent clause how we can call it a sentence? Can even two dependent clauses form a sentence?




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