What are Simple Sentences?

Simple Sentences:

• A simple sentence is a gathering of words that has a subject, a verb and states a complete thought.
• A simple subject has one subject and one predicate.
• It consists of one independent clause (main clause) with no dependent clause (Sub-ordinate clause).
• Example: “Mom cooked dinner”
• There is no conjunction at the beginning or end of the sentence, and it is a complete thought. So, this is a simple sentence.

1. Sometimes a Simple Sentence Has a Compound Subject.

• That means two different people/things are doing the action.
• Example: “Mom and Dad cooked dinner.”
• Here, “Mom” and “dad” are linked together by the coordinating conjunction “and”.
• Because the conjunction connects the subject, this is a complete thought. So, we can call it a simple sentence.

2. Sometimes a Simple Sentence Can Have a Compound Predicate.

• That means the subject or subjects are doing two different actions.
• Example: “Dad cooked dinner and cleaned the kitchen”
• In this sentence, the two verb phrases are linked together by the coordinating conjunction “and”.
• This is what makes the sentence have a compound predicate.

This conjunction connects the verb phrases, so this is a complete thought. This group of words can stand alone as a sentence. So, that makes it a simple sentence.

3. Let’s See One More Example of a Simple Sentence.

• Example: “Mom and Dad cooked dinner and cleaned the kitchen”.

Subject: “Mom”, “Dad”

Verbs: “Cooked”, “Cleaned”

Verb phrases: “Cooked dinner”,

“Cleaned the kitchen”

• This sentence has a compound subject and a compound predicate.
• It has multiple subjects, verbs, and verb phrases. It also has a complete thought.
• So, the conjunctions are linking parts of the sentence together.

Let’s Look at Some Examples:

1. She is my sister and she wants to meet you.
2. The bus will leave for the airport in 10 minutes.
3. Switzerland is the most beautiful city I have visited.