What is an example of an independent clause?

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An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. The statement "I wanted to eat" meets all these criteria. It has a subject "I" and a verb "wanted," and it conveys a complete idea; it stands alone without needing additional information to make sense. This is why it is considered an independent clause.

In contrast, the other options are dependent clauses. "When the sun sets" introduces a time condition but doesn’t express a complete thought. "Although it was raining" presents a contrast but leaves the reader expecting more information to complete the idea. "Because he was tired" gives a reason but also requires additional context to form a complete thought. Therefore, "I wanted to eat" is the only option that functions independently and fully conveys an idea by itself.