really a simple sentence

[jirikoo]

hi, one more question:)

We have the simple sentence:

"I can do it."
thus Subject - modal verb - infinitive - object.

Are in this sentence two clauses? - "I can" and "do it"???? I presumed that "I can" would be an independent clause and "do it" is an infinitive (a dependent, non-finite clause)...OR ....Its all in all an independent clause - a sentence as whole?

Can anyone clarify this to me?

thanks a lot

[rj1948]

It is a sentence.Expressing ability.

[MrPedantic]

I would also treat it as a single clause. You could think of "do it" as the complement of the modal verb.

MrP

[David L.]

I (subject) can (modal verb) do(verb) it (object)

"In the morning, I do housework, and in the afternoon, I do some gardening. I can do (= am able to do) a lot more now that my broken arm is healed."

Let me! I can do that!