Here's a breakdown:
* Subject: The person, place, thing, or idea that performs the action of the verb.
* Verb: The word that describes the action or state of being of the subject.
* Complete thought: A statement that makes sense on its own.
Examples of independent clauses:
* The cat sat on the mat. (Subject: cat, Verb: sat, Complete thought: The cat's action is explained.)
* He is going to the store. (Subject: He, Verb: is going, Complete thought: His destination is stated.)
* I love to eat pizza. (Subject: I, Verb: love, Complete thought: A personal preference is expressed.)
Key characteristics of independent clauses:
* They can stand alone as a sentence.
* They have a subject and a verb.
* They express a complete thought.
Contrast with dependent clauses:
* Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as a sentence.
* They often begin with subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, although, since) or relative pronouns (e.g., who, which, that).
* They do not express a complete thought.
Example of a dependent clause:
* Because the weather was bad. (This clause does not make sense on its own. It needs an independent clause to complete the thought.)
Putting it all together:
Independent clauses are the building blocks of sentences. They can be combined with other independent clauses or dependent clauses to create complex and interesting sentences.