Identifying an independent clause

Question

I would like to know if an independent clause can have words like 'Him', 'They', 'It', etc. to refer to a subject in the previous independent clause (to which the former is joined by 'and' or 'so') OR the previous sentence.

I am having some confusion on this because I cannot figure out whether to add a comma before 'and' or 'so' or not. As far as I know, an independent clause should be able to stand on its own merit and be complete but what if the subject is not mentioned directly but is referred to as 'it', 'him', and so on.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Manish JaitlyI would like to know if an independent clause can have words like 'Him', 'They', 'It', etc. to refer to a subject in the previous independent clause (to which the former is joined by 'and' or 'so') OR the previous sentence.

Yes.

Mr Whittier asked me to call him this morning, so I called him.
The kids went swimming today, and later they had a picnic.

Manish JaitlyI cannot figure out whether to add a comma before 'and' or 'so' or not. As far as I know, an independent clause should be able to stand on its own merit and be complete but what if the subject is not mentioned directly but is referred to as 'it', 'him', and so on.

Both clauses have to have an explicit subject, whether the subject is Ben, my father, that man, or he.

Ben wanted a burger, so he got one at a small shop on Elm Street.

him is not a subject pronoun, so it will never occur as a subject in any clause.

If the second clause does not have an explicit subject, you are probably dealing with a simple sentence that has a compound predicate (not a compound sentence), and you should not use a comma in that case.

Lily went to the bank and cashed a check.

But

Lily went to the bank, and she cashed a check.

CJ

Identifying an independent clause

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