Which term describes a sentence that can stand alone as a complete thought and contains only a single independent clause?

Which term describes a sentence that can stand alone as a complete thought and contains only a single independent clause?

• A. Simple sentence
• B. Compound sentence
• C. Complex sentence
• D. Sentence fragment

Answer: (A)

Understanding sentence types hinges on independent versus dependent clauses. A sentence that can stand alone as a complete thought with only a single independent clause is a simple sentence. It expresses one clear idea and does not include any dependent clause. For example, “The cat slept.” has one subject and one predicate and can stand alone as a complete sentence. In contrast, a compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses, so it expresses more than one complete thought. A complex sentence includes at least one dependent clause plus an independent clause, so it cannot stand alone in all parts. A sentence fragment lacks a complete independent clause entirely, so it’s not a complete sentence. Therefore, the term that fits the description is a simple sentence.

Understanding sentence types hinges on independent versus dependent clauses. A sentence that can stand alone as a complete thought with only a single independent clause is a simple sentence. It expresses one clear idea and does not include any dependent clause. For example, “The cat slept.” has one subject and one predicate and can stand alone as a complete sentence. In contrast, a compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses, so it expresses more than one complete thought. A complex sentence includes at least one dependent clause plus an independent clause, so it cannot stand alone in all parts. A sentence fragment lacks a complete independent clause entirely, so it’s not a complete sentence. Therefore, the term that fits the description is a simple sentence.