What defines a simple sentence?

What defines a simple sentence?

• A. A sentence with two independent clauses
• B. An independent clause that states a complete thought with a subject and predicate
• C. A sentence with a subject but no verb
• D. A sentence with a dependent clause only

Answer: (B)

A simple sentence is made from one independent clause that expresses a complete thought and contains a subject and a predicate. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, and it may include additional details or a compound subject, but it remains a single, complete idea. For example, "The cat and dog slept" has one independent clause with a compound subject (the cat and dog) and a complete thought. What would not be a simple sentence is having two independent clauses joined together, as in "The cat slept, and the dog woke"—that’s a compound sentence. A sentence that has a subject but no verb is just a fragment, not a sentence. A sentence that is only a dependent clause, like "Because the cat slept," cannot stand alone as a complete thought and is not a simple sentence.

A simple sentence is made from one independent clause that expresses a complete thought and contains a subject and a predicate. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, and it may include additional details or a compound subject, but it remains a single, complete idea.

For example, "The cat and dog slept" has one independent clause with a compound subject (the cat and dog) and a complete thought. What would not be a simple sentence is having two independent clauses joined together, as in "The cat slept, and the dog woke"—that’s a compound sentence. A sentence that has a subject but no verb is just a fragment, not a sentence. A sentence that is only a dependent clause, like "Because the cat slept," cannot stand alone as a complete thought and is not a simple sentence.