Simple Sentence - Definition and Examples

The simple sentence is an important concept in English grammar. It can be very helpful to know what it exactly is and how it is written. In this post, we’re going to take a look at the definition of simple sentences along with some illustrative examples.

What is a Simple sentence?

A simple sentence is defined as a sentence that contains one single independent clause consisting of a subject and a predicate. (Learn more about what predicate is by scrolling down to the section dealing with “parts of a simple sentence.”)

Simple sentences can have more than one subject and predicate as well. As long as there is one independent clause in the sentence, it stays within the definition.

The main defining properties of simple sentences can be summarized like this:

• They consist of only one single independent clause.
• They don’t consist of a subordinate clause or “dependent” clause.

Examples of a Simple sentence

Here are some examples of simple sentences.

1. Jim is walking down the road. (In this simple sentence, there is only one subject and one predicate.)
   
   
2. Timothy and Albert are eating lunch and then they will go to the museum. (In this simple sentence, there are two subjects and two predicates.)
   
   
3. She coughed. (In this simple sentence, the subject is referred to by the pronoun “she” and the verb/action consists of only one word. The predicate, in this case, is the only word other than the subject.)
   
   

What is the difference between a Simple sentence and a Compound sentence?

The difference between a simple sentence is as follows:

In a simple sentence, there is only one independent clause. In a compound sentence, on the other hand, there are two or more independent clauses that are connected by using either a colon (:), semicolon (;), or a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

 Some people can also confuse compound sentences and complex sentences. The difference between them is also mentioned below:

In a compound sentence, there are two or more independent clauses connected using a coordinating conjunction. In a complex sentence, however, there is one independent clause and at least one dependent clause that can be connected not only by coordinating conjunctions, but also by correlative conjunctions (such as either/or, rather/than) and subordinating conjunctions (such as before, although, since).

In the table below, we have summarized the main differences between all three of these:

What are the parts of a Simple sentence?

Let’s take a more detailed look into the parts of a simple sentence.

• Subject

In a sentence, the subject refers to the person or object that is performing an action. The subject in a sentence can be a noun, pronoun, or a noun phrase. For example, the word “Jim” in “Jim eats food” is a subject. 

You can also read BYJU'S blog for more examples and details about the subject.

There are two different types of subjects in grammar: simple subjects and compound subjects. Both of these subjects can be used in a simple sentence.

Difference between simple subject and compound subject

The difference between a simple subject and a compound subject is as follows:

• A simple subject contains only one noun, pronoun, or noun phrase, such as “a cat” or “a man.”
• A compound subject, on the other hand, contains two or more nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases that have the same verb. The different nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases are connected using a coordinating conjunction. For example, in the sentence “The cat and the dog ate food,” the “cat and the dog” perform the same action, hence they collectively form one compound subject.

• Predicate

A predicate refers to the part of a sentence that describes the action of the subject but not the subject itself. For example, in the sentence, “The brown cat is sitting on the sofa,” the words “sitting on the sofa” make up the predicate because they describe the action of the subject. The words “the” and “brown” aren’t included in the predicate.

This particular example that we’ve mentioned contains a complete predicate. There are different classifications of predicates, which we will explain in the section below:

Difference between complete predicate, simple predicate and compound predicate

Here is an explanation of the difference between these three types of predicates.

• A simple predicate only covers the main verb or action in a sentence. For example, in the sentence “The brown cat was sitting on the sofa,” the simple predicate would only be the verb “sitting.”
• A compound predicate contains two or more verbs that apply to the same subject. For example, in the sentence “The car roared, spluttered, and ground to a halt,” the words “roared, spluttered, and ground to a halt,” make up the compound predicate because they are multiple verbs but for the same subject.
• A complete predicate refers to basically all the parts of a sentence other than the subject and words that affect it. For example, in the sentence “The brown cat was sitting on the sofa,” the complete predicate includes all the words other than “the brown cat.”

Benefit and importance of Simple sentences

The following are some points that describe the importance and benefits of simple sentences.

1. Simple sentences are easy to read and understand

One of the main benefits of simple sentences is that they are readable and easy to comprehend. When the sentence consists of only one independent clause, there are no needlessly complex parts to worry about.

 If you are writing content for the general public, such as on a blog or a forum, using simple sentences should be a priority.

2. Writing simple sentences can also help you avoid unnecessary grammar errors

By writing simple sentences, you can avoid unnecessary grammar errors. There are many types of errors that arise in only compound and complex sentences, such as the wrong placement of the comma, the incorrect use of a conjunction between clauses, etc. The possibility of such errors does not arise in simple sentences.

3. Simple sentences can help place focus and emphasis on a specific point

If you are writing content and wish to place emphasis on a particular point, using simple sentences can be a great way to do so. When there is just one independent clause, the focus is automatically placed on it. On the other hand, if there are multiple clauses, the sentence becomes long and it is hard to stress a specific aspect.

Final Thoughts

And there we have it.

Simple sentences can be described as sentences that contain only one independent clause. In the post above, we’ve provided the definition for these sentences along with some examples. We have also elaborated on the different parts they consist of, such as the subject and predicate.

Many people can face trouble differentiating between simple, compound, and complex sentences. We’ve created a table outlining the main differences between them as well.

We hope you learned something new from this blog. Make sure to visit again for some more helpful content.