Growing competitive pressures may be encouraging auditors to bend the

saby1410, just because it's an example doesn't make it a dependent clause. An independent clause has a subject, verb and object – the statement after the semicolon meets all these criteria.

If you read the second statement alone, it is a coherent thought.

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Just to add to Palak's excellent point, do remember that while it may not sound very intuitive, Independent clauses can start with words such as instead, consequently, moreover, likewise, therefore, however and otherwise.

p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses this aspect of Independent clauses. Have attached the corresponding section of the book, for your reference.

OE:
Grammatical construction; Rhetorical construction
This sentence correctly joins two independent clauses with a semicolon.
The first clause makes a generalization; the second clause gives a
particular example that supports the generalization.
A. Correct. This sentence correctly has two independent clauses with
linked ideas joined with a semicolon.
B. In trying to condense two main clauses into one, this construction
produces an ungrammatical sequence of words with no clear
meaning.
C. The preposition like should not be used to introduce the infinitive
phrase to allow . . . ; the comparative preposition like is properly
used to draw a comparison between two nouns.
D. Such as to be allowing is not a correct idiomatic expression.
E. The semicolon is followed by a wordy, incorrect construction rather
than an independent clause.
The correct answer is A.

Sentences on both sides of the semi colon should be independent clauses.

Here the verb-ing word (Growing) is functioning as an Adjective?

Hi pratiksha1998,

Yes, "growing" here is used to modify "competitive pressures". Since, it is modifying a noun, it is an adjective.

Hope it helps.

Yes Pratiksha, as in all the following cases:

Encouraging trend, soaring temperature, smiling baby, amazing incident, broken arrow.

Such "verb forms" that act as adjectives, are called participles. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses Participles, their application and examples in significant detail. If you or someone is interested, PM me your email-id; I can mail the corresponding section.

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