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simple sentence
noun
- a sentence having only one clause, as I saw her the day before yesterday.
simple sentence
noun
- a sentence consisting of a single main clause Compare compound sentence complex sentence
simple sentence
- A sentence containing only one independent clause and no dependent clauses : “He went home after class.” ( Compare complex sentence , compound sentence , and compound-complex sentence .)
Compare Meanings
How does simple sentence compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Then she moves to simple sentences like “I have a pencil. I have a computer. I have a black computer,” Testerman said.
Then the dogs listened to recordings of their owners using the familiar words in simple sentences like, “Luna, here’s the ball.”
Each word felt heavy on my tongue as I labored through the simple sentence, stunned by the glow that surrounded her.
I remember how much weight he brought to one of his first "Lost" lines, the simple sentence: "Are you fine?"
He credits Welty with transforming him in one simple sentence.
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More About Simple Sentence
What is a simple sentence?
A simple sentence is a sentence that contains a single independent clause.
In grammar, a clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. The subject is the word that indicates what a sentence is about or who or what is performing an action. A subject can be a noun (car, Tom), a noun phrase (short book, green apples), or a noun substitute (you, they). The predicate is a word that indicates what the subject is doing. A predicate is a verb (runs, is) and the words that govern or modify it (fast, hungry).
A simple sentence contains only a single clause that stands alone and makes grammatical sense. A simple sentence has only one subject and one predicate, as in Tom is hungry.
A simple sentence can also have a compound subject (two or more subjects doing the same action), a compound predicate (two or more actions being performed), and modifiers that describe the subject or predicate (such as adjectives, adverbs, and direct objects). Because it has only one clause, though, it is still a simple sentence.
Why are simple sentences important?
The first records of the phrase simple sentence come from around 1669. It combines the word simple, meaning “uncomplicated,” and sentence, meaning “a grammatical unit of words that expresses an independent idea.” Simple sentences are the most basic sentences you can use in English.
We use simple sentences frequently in English, especially to make an idea easier to understand. Understanding what simple sentences are will help you tackle more complicated sentence structures, such as compound sentences and complex sentences.
Did you know ... ?
Simple sentences don’t have to be short. They can be long, especially if you get creative with adjectives, as in The big, ugly, scraggly dog hungrily ate the half-full can of baked beans.
What are real-life examples of simple sentence?
This image gives examples of some different kinds of simple sentences you can make.
We use simple sentences every day.
I need a big favor! Can someone translate two simple sentences from English to Spanish for me? (I took Latin; I'm useless.)
— Anna Dorfman 🥯 (@doorsixteen) December 7, 2010
“I will try to have
a great day” –@AsunaaThe text I read before I started my morning run. Positive psychology teaches us that this seemingly simple sentence programs the subconscious mind to “have a great day.”
Intentions become experiences.
Let’s have a great day.
— Edward Cleland (@MindBodyEsports) March 14, 2021
What other words are related to simple sentence?
Quiz yourself!
Which of the following is NOT a simple sentence?
A. Fish swim.
B. Matt and Ashley ate cake.
C. I had seven kittens, but my brother adopted one.
D. Sit!
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