What kind of clause cannot stand on its own?

Here's why:

* Dependent clauses lack a subject and verb combination that can express a complete thought.

* They rely on an independent clause to provide the necessary context and meaning.

Examples:

* Dependent Clause: "Because I was tired"

* Independent Clause: "I went to bed early."

Combined Sentence: "Because I was tired, I went to bed early."

In this example, the dependent clause "Because I was tired" provides a reason for the action in the independent clause "I went to bed early."