A dependent clause is a group of words that have a subject and verb, but do not form a complete thought and cannot stand alone. Introductory words change an independent clause (a complete sentence) to a dependent clause. Take the sentence "I ran." There's a subject and verb, but the absence of an introductory word allows it to be an independent clause. If you add an introductory word like "after," you get "After I ran." That's not to say a fragment like that won't ever wind up in a…

This is the first of a series of posts I'd like to use to start detailing proper use of grammar and punctuation. It is crucial in our line of work that we know not only how to use grammar and punctuation, but also that we can properly identify the different parts of a sentence. Much like mathematics, grammar builds on itself and assumes you know the basics. If you understand the basics, knowing the correct punctuation and grammar becomes much easier. With that said, let's get…