LoginSimple Sentences
In this lesson we learn about simple sentences, which are essential sentences consisting of one independent clause that express a single complete thought. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.
What Is a Simple Sentence?
A simple sentence is a grammatical structure that consists of a single finite clause which expresses a complete thought or idea on its own. It typically contains a subject, which is the person or thing performing the action, and a predicate, which is the verb describing the action together with all its dependents.
Simple Sentences: Structure
Simple sentences do not contain any dependent or subordinate clauses, which means they cannot be divided into smaller sentence structures. Here are some examples of a simple sentence:
I can cook very well.
Sam is my close friend.
He was continuing to manipulate me.
Sam, Liza, and Jane are working at a bank.
This is a simple sentence with a compound subject made up of three simple subjects.
Tip!
All sentences must have at least one independent clause.
Extended Simple Sentences
A simple sentence can be long and complicated, but as long as it has only one subject and one predicate, it is considered a simple sentence. See these examples:
Michael and Sara like cooking and baking but hate washing the dishes and cleaning.
This is still a simple sentence. There are no dependent clauses.
Kamchatka brown bear and Eurasian brown bear feed on blueberries, crowberries, humpback salmon, and steelhead in the summer and eat nuts from nut-pines, mountain ash, and fish in the winter.
Simple Sentences vs. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. Take the last example. It has one compound subject, therefore it is a simple sentence. Now, imagine the sentence was like this:
Kamchatka brown bear feeds on blueberries, crowberries, humpback salmon, and steelhead, and Eurasian brown bear eats nuts from nut-pines, mountain ash, and fish.
In this example, there are two subjects 'Kamchatka brown bear' and 'Eurasian brown bear,' each with its own predicate. This is an example of a compound sentence, not a simple sentence.
Use of Comma
Pay attention to the use of commas in the examples above. When the sentence has two separate subjects, you have to separate the two clauses with a comma. But when it is a simple sentence with a single subject, there is no need for commas. Let's see more examples:
Michael likes cooking and loves eating.
one subject → simple sentence → no comma
Michael likes cooking but hates cleaning up.
one subject → simple sentence → no comma
Michael likes cooking, and Sara loves eating.
two separate subjects → compound sentence → comma
Michael likes cooking, but Sara hates cleaning up.
two main clauses with separate subjects → compound sentence → comma
How to Identify a Simple Sentence
To spot a simple sentence, remember the following rules:
Rule #1
A simple sentence has one subject and one finite verb.
Sally prefers to have pineapples and Canadian bacons on her pizza instead of cheese and Buffalo Sauce.
Although this example has a long predicate with lots of modifiers, it still has only one finite verb and one subject and therefore is a simple sentence, because there is just one subject, Sally, and one predicate.
The young artist, inspired by the vibrant colors of the sunset, painted a breathtaking landscape
In this sentence, only the verb "painted" is a finite verb in the past tense and "inspired by the..." is a past participle clause which is a non-finite clause. So, the sentence is simple.
Rule #2
If there is a subordinating conjunction at the beginning of a clause, then the clause is dependent and accordingly, the sentence cannot be simple. For example:
Although Max is a really shy person, he still loves to talk to people and make friends.
The first clause begins with a transition word "although". This clause depends on another clause to make sense, and therefore is incomplete without an independent clause.
Review
To sum up, a simple sentence must have one related subject and one related verb. None of the examples below are simple. They are both examples of compound sentences.
Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow hasn't arrived yet.
I have just today, and I am going to be happy in it.
But these sentences are examples of simple sentences:
I want to join the gym and get in better shape than you.
In wedding ceremonies, brides choose their bridesmaids and honor attendant and host the bridesmaids' luncheon.
Quiz:
Which sentence is NOT a simple sentence?
The cat sleeps on the sofa.
The boy and his dog ran across the park.
I wanted to go out, but it started raining.
My best friend always arrives late.
Which of the following is a feature of a simple sentence?
It has at least two independent clauses.
It contains at least one dependent clause.
It has only one subject and one predicate.
It always includes a comma.
Sort the words to form a correct simple sentence.
Match each sentence with the correct description.
Complete the table below by identifying whether each sentence is a simple sentence (Yes) or not a simple sentence (No).
The sun rises in the east. | |
Sam, Liza, and Jane are working at a bank. | |
Because it was cold, we stayed indoors. | |
The children played in the park and laughed loudly. | |
I have just today, and I am going to be happy in it. | |
Michael and Sara like cooking but hate cleaning. |
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