Breaking Down the First Independent Clause

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 131 views

In the given sentence, "Spyro was afraid to watch the movie; therefore, he went to the other room to read," we have two independent clauses joined by a semicolon and a conjunction. An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate, expressing a complete thought.

Breaking Down the First Independent Clause

The first independent clause is: "Spyro was afraid to watch the movie."

Subject: Spyro (the person performing the action)
Predicate: was afraid to watch the movie (the action being performed)
Key words: was afraid, to watch the movie

The key words that make up the first independent clause are:

was (linking verb)
afraid (adjective describing the subject's state)
to (infinitive marker)
watch (verb)
the movie (object of the verb)

Highlighting the Key Words in the First Independent Clause

was (linking verb)
afraid (adjective describing the subject's state)
to (infinitive marker)
watch (verb)
the movie (object of the verb)

Breaking Down the Second Independent Clause

The second independent clause is: "he went to the other room to read."

Subject: he (the person performing the action)
Predicate: went to the other room to read (the action being performed)
Key words: went, to the other room, to read

The key words that make up the second independent clause are:

went (verb)
to (infinitive marker)
the other room (object of the verb)
to (infinitive marker)
read (verb)

Highlighting the Key Words in the Second Independent Clause

went (verb)
to (infinitive marker)
the other room (object of the verb)
to (infinitive marker)
read (verb)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the key words that make up the two independent clauses in the given sentence are:

First independent clause: was, afraid, to, watch, the movie
Second independent clause: went, to, the other room, to, read

In our previous article, we discussed the concept of independent clauses and how to identify them in a sentence. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions about independent clauses to help you better understand this grammatical concept.

Q: What is an independent clause?

A: An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate, expressing a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence and still make sense.

Q: How do I identify an independent clause?

A: To identify an independent clause, look for a subject and a predicate. The subject is the person, place, or thing performing the action, and the predicate is the action being performed. If a group of words has both a subject and a predicate, it is an independent clause.

Q: Can an independent clause be a single word?

A: No, an independent clause cannot be a single word. It must have a subject and a predicate, which means it must have at least two words.

Q: Can an independent clause be a phrase?

A: No, an independent clause cannot be a phrase. A phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject and a predicate. A phrase can be a part of an independent clause, but it cannot be an independent clause itself.

Q: How do I join two independent clauses?

A: There are several ways to join two independent clauses, including:

Using a conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet)
Using a semicolon (;)
Using a dash (-)
Using a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, thus, consequently)

Q: What is the difference between a dependent clause and an independent clause?

A: A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate, but it does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence and still make sense. An independent clause, on the other hand, is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought.

Q: Can a dependent clause be an independent clause?

A: No, a dependent clause cannot be an independent clause. A dependent clause is a group of words that is missing a subject or a predicate, or both, and therefore cannot express a complete thought.

Q: How do I identify a dependent clause?

A: To identify a dependent clause, look for a subject and a predicate, but also look for a word or phrase that indicates the clause is dependent, such as a subordinating conjunction (because, since, after, although) or a relative pronoun (who, which, that).

Q: Can a dependent clause be a single word?

A: No, a dependent clause cannot be a single word. It must have a subject and a predicate, which means it must have at least two words.

Q: Can a dependent clause be a phrase?

A: No, a dependent clause cannot be a phrase. A phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject and a predicate. A phrase can be a part of a dependent clause, but it cannot be a dependent clause itself.

Conclusion

In conclusion, independent clauses are groups of words that contain a subject and a predicate and express a complete thought. They can be joined to other independent clauses using conjunctions, semicolons, dashes, or conjunctive adverbs. Dependent clauses, on the other hand, are groups of words that contain a subject and a predicate but do not express a complete thought. By understanding the difference between independent and dependent clauses, you can improve your writing and communication skills.

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an independent clause?
How do I identify an independent clause?
Can an independent clause be a single word?
Can an independent clause be a phrase?
How do I join two independent clauses?
What is the difference between a dependent clause and an independent clause?
Can a dependent clause be an independent clause?
How do I identify a dependent clause?
Can a dependent clause be a single word?
Can a dependent clause be a phrase?