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The Simple Sentence

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The Simple Sentence

A simple sentence contains only one independent clause.

An independent clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete thought. These kinds of sentences have only one independent clause, and they don't contain any subordinate clauses. They express only one main idea. Let's look at some examples!

Simple	Not Simple
I love kumquats.	I love kumquats, and you love bananas. (This sentence is compound.)
Maria loves limes.	Although she hates lemons, Maria loves limes. (This sentence is complex.)
Maria served punch and cake.	Maria served punch and cake because they are delicious, and her guests loved them! (This sentence is compound-complex.)

Compound Elements

Do you know what compound means? It means more than one. We say that a sentence is compound when it contains two or more independent clauses. Well, listen to this! Sentences that are simple may contain compound words or phrases!

Compound Element	Still Simple? Yes!
Subject	Marshall and Allie play basketball.
Verb	The players dribbled and shot the basketball.
Direct Object	The team won the game and the tournament.
Predicate Adjective	They felt happy and elated.
Object of the Preposition	The team ate at Dairy Queen and McDonalds.

You can learn more about simple sentences with compound elements here.

Sometimes seeing what something isn't can help us figure out what something is. Check out this page on compound sentences, and you might just learn a little more about the simple ones!

Diagramming The Simple Sentence

Sentence diagramming gives us a way to show the structure of sentences. Check it out! This is how to diagram any sentence classified as simple. The subject and verb go on the same horizontal line. Draw a vertical line between the subject and verb.

I kicked the ball.

Compound Subjects & Compound Verbs

Here are examples of how you would diagram a compound subject and verb.

Lewis and Alice played in the backyard.

Lewis and Alice played in the backyard and read in the house.

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Simple vs.
Compound Sentences

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Learn about all four sentence structures.

Elizabeth O'Brien from Grammar Revolution

Hello! I'm Elizabeth, and my goal is to get you jazzed about grammar. Click here to see how I can help you.

Thank you for your diagrams. You sure have been helpful and a great influence on my class. I got an 87% on my last English test. I was so happy because it's one of my highest scores. Thanks again!

- Emily, Student

If you want to teach or learn grammar the easy way, follow our step-by-step program which clearly lays everything out and allows you to move at your own pace. The Get Smart Grammar Program is presented in a logical sequence, so it's not an overwhelming mishmash of information. Just watch the videos and complete your assignments. Before you know it, you'll be a grammar and sentence diagramming pro!