Colon independent clause is formed by joining two independent clauses with a colon.The colon joins two clauses which have a connection.The second independent clause after the colon explains or justifies the meaning behind the first independent clause.
- I cannot play cricket this month:my broken leg will be okay only after two months.
- The student cadet team has done a commendable work:they cleaned the entire hospital premises.
- I can offer you a ride :I bought a new motorcycle.
- He is a good person: he adopted an orphan child
- He needs a new pair of shoes:he is running the marathon next week.
- He can lift that suitcase easily:he practises weightlifting at the gym.
- I could not attend the meeting:I arrived late at the venue.
- Sara does not eat mutton:she is a vegetarian.
- I owe you an apology:I doubted you without knowing the truth.
- Sara was sad:she missed the trophy because of her carelessness.
- Anna went to her room and cried: she felt sad after the university rejected her application.
- I continued the journey alone:I needed to be strong.
- I admire Mother Teresa:she devoted her life to the poor.
Colon independent clause examples explained.
1.I cannot play cricket this month:my broken leg will be okay only after two months.
We have two independent clauses here. The second clause ‘my broken leg will be okay only after two months’ explains the first clause ‘I cannot play cricket this month’.Therefore we used a colon in between them to signal that connection..
2.The student cadet team has done a commendable work:they cleaned the entire hospital premises.
Here the independent clause ‘they cleaned the entire hospital premises’ explains the first independent clause ‘the student cadet team has done a commendable job’.Since the second clause clarifies the first clause we used a colon in between them.
3.I can offer you a ride :I bought a new motorcycle.
Here the second independent clause justifies why I can offer you a ride.Therefore a colon can join the two clauses.
4.He is a good person: he adopted an orphan child
We use a colon between these two independent clauses to show that the second clause ‘he adopted an orphan child’ explains the first independent clause ‘he is a good person’.Su we used a colon in between those two independent clauses.
5.He needs a new pair of shoes:he is running the marathon next week.
Here ‘he is running the marathon next week’ clarifies the reason behind the first independent clause ’he needs a new pair of shoes’.Therefore we used a colon.
6.He can lift that suitcase easily:he practises weightlifting at the gym.
Here ,he can lift that suitcase easily because he practises weightlifting at the gym.Therefore the second independent clause clarifies the meaning behind the first independent clause.So we used a colon in between the two clauses.
7.I could not attend the meeting:I arrived late at the venue.
Here the second clause ‘I arrived late at the venue’ explains why I could not attend the meeting.So we used a colon in between the two clauses.
8.Sara does not eat mutton:she is a vegetarian.
Here we have two independent clauses.The second clause ‘she is a vegetarian’ justifies the reason behind the first clause ‘Sara does not eat mutton’.Therefore we used a colon in between those two independent clauses.
9.I owe you an apology:I doubted you without knowing the truth.
Here the second clause clearly explains why do I owe you an apology .So we used a colon in between the two clauses .
10.Sara was sad:she missed the trophy because of her carelessness.
The second clause justifies the first clause.Sara was sad because she missed the trophy just because of her carelessness.So a colon is used to join the two clauses.
11.Anna went to her room and cried:she felt sad after the university rejected her application.
The second clause gives explanation for the first clause.So we used a colon in between the two clauses.
12.I continued the journey alone:I needed to be strong.
I continued my journey alone because I needed to be strong.Here the second independent clause expanded on the first independent clause. So we used a colon in between them.
13.I admire Mother Teresa:she devoted her life to the poor.
Here the second clause ‘she devoted her life to the poor’ explains the intention behind the first clause.So we used a colon in between.
Conclusion:By using a colon between two independent clauses,a reader will get more clarification or explanation about the first independent clause.
Hi, My name is Ammu Shaji. I hail from Kerala. I hold a post-graduate degree in English Language and Literature. I am an Academic writer by passion and profession.