Which sentence uses a dependent clause to show a cause-and-effect relationship?

Question

1.Because the power went out, none of the clocks have the right time.

2.While the power was out, Alexander went outside to ride his skateboard.

3.Although the cats were hungry, I didn’t want to feed them yet.

4.Before I feed the cats, I wash out their food bowls and give them fresh water.

Answer 1

First step is to make sure you know what dependent clauses are. Our sentences are made up of clauses and phrases. A clause has a subject and a verb. A dependent clause has a subject and a verb but can't be a complete sentence, usually due to a subordinate conjunction like "because," "while," and "although."

So looking at your four choices, they all start with dependent clauses (the part before the comma). To answer this question, you need to figure out the relationship between the first part of the sentence and the second part. The correct answer will show cause and effect.

1. Because the power went out, did that cause the clocks not to have the right time?
2. Because the power went out, did that cause Alexander to ride his skateboard?
3. Because the cats were hungry, did that cause the speaker not to feed them?
4. This sentence is showing the speaker's typical order of steps in his/ her routine.

So I don't want to give out the direct answer, but I hope this helps. Select the answer where the first part of the sentence directly caused the second part of the sentence. I think you can narrow it down to two choices, and then select the answer where the cause and effect is the most direct.