Simple Sentences: Definition, Rules, Structure, Examples with Practice Questions

A simple sentence in English is also known as an independent clause. These sentences express a complete thought without any dependent clause or subordinate clause. Simple sentences have one subject and one verb. A simple sentence can be a declarative sentence, an interrogative sentence or an exclamatory sentence.

Examples:

• She enjoys swimming.
• He plays badminton every Sunday.
• They went to the beach.
• I love my new glasses.

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A simple sentence, according to the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, is a “sentence consisting of a single independent clause, containing a subject and a verb, and expressing a complete thought. It does not contain any subordinate or dependent clauses.”

Collins Dictionary says, a simple sentence is a “sentence consisting of a single main clause. It contains one independent clause, which must include a subject and a verb and express a complete thought.”

As written in the Cambridge Dictionary, a “simple sentence is defined by Cambridge Dictionary as a sentence that contains only one independent clause. This means it has one subject and one verb and expresses a complete thought.”

Its pronounced as:

UK/ˌsɪm.pəl ˈsen.təns/

 US/ˌsɪm.pəl ˈsen.təns/

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As stated above, a Simple sentence expresses a complete thought with a noun and a verb. It doesn't include any dependent clauses.

The basic structure is typically subject+verb+object (SVO), but other patterns can be used.

Here’s the structural breakdown of simple sentences:

• Subject: The person, place, or thing that is performing the action in the sentence.
• Verb: The action word or state of being in the sentence.
• Object: The object receives the action of the verb.
• Independent Clause: A group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence.
• No Dependent Clauses: A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
• No Subordinate Clauses: A simple sentence doesn't have any clauses that depend on another part of the sentence to make sense.

Below are the rules students should follow while using simple sentences in the English conversations:

• A simple sentence should have one subject and one verb that form a complete thought.
• The subject and verb must agree in number (singular or plural).
• The standard SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) order is common. However, it is flexible and can be changed depending upon the context and use case.
• A simple sentence can have Compound Subject and Compound Verb joined by a conjunction.
• Simple sentences do not include dependent (or subordinate) clauses.
• A simple sentence should be properly punctuated, ending with a period in most cases.

Simple sentences, are however mostly simple and straightforward, it does have a few special cases and exceptions, particularly related to subject-verb agreement (interlinking) and the use of auxiliary verbs.

Let’s take a look at some such exceptions:

1. The pronouns "I" and "you", despite sometimes referring to a single person, always take plural verb forms in the simple present tense. For example:

• You are lucky.
• I am going to the mall.

 

2. The verbs "be," "have," and "do" have irregular forms in the simple present tense. They are as follows:

Verb	Irregular Form	Examples
Be	I-am you/we/they-are he/she/it- is	·       I am tired ·       They are having dinner. ·       It is raining.
Have	"I/you/we/they-have he/she/it-has	·       I have finished my work. ·       He has severe pain in knees.
Do	I/you/we/they-do he/she/it-does	·       We don’t have to go today. ·       He does not like burger.

 

3. Auxiliary verbs like "do" can be added to simple present tense sentences to add emphasis or express strong feeling. For example:

• I do want to come!
• I do like pasta.

 

4. Simple sentences have some exceptions when it comes to spelling rules in English. (interlink) Like, some verbs have irregular spelling changes particularly when the. base form ends in "o," "s," "ch," "sh," or "x". These verbs add "-es" instead of "-s". For example:

• He does all his job on his own
• I have a lot of watches.
• She washes her school bag on her own.

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Students can follow these tips to effectively and rightly use Simple sentences in English:

• Understand the sentence structure. Every sentence needs to have a subject and a verb to be complete, without dependent clause.
• Use the right punctuation as per the requirement.
• Expand your vocabulary. Use new and right words to make your sentences more effective.
• Practice writing different types of sentences and paragraphs to solidify your understanding.
• Read a lot. This will enhance your understanding, clarity and use of sentences.
• Listen to native speakers and focus on the usage and sentence structure.
• Use online resources for practice and build better understanding on the topic.

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• Prefixes Types in English
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Simple sentences are quite easy to identify in English language. Just look for a single subject-verb combination and ensure it's a complete thought, to ascertain it is a simple sentence. It must not contain any subordinate or dependent clauses which often start with words like 'because', 'while', 'although’. It should express a complete idea on its own.

Let’s explain this with examples:

1. She sings beautifully.

Explanation: She is the noun, sings is the verb and beautifully is a modifier. This sentence is a complete thought without any dependent clause.

2. They take the bus to school.

Explanation: They is the noun, take is the verb and bus is the object. This is a simple sentence which conveys a complete thought and does not require any other clause to be completed.

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• English Subject and Predicate: Meaning and Examples
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Below are some errors areas for simple sentences, for the students and how they can fix them.

Error	Solution
The subject and verb does not agree in number. Example: The dog run in the park.	Use singular verbs with singular subjects and plural verbs with plural subjects. Corrected example: The dog runs in the park.
Pronouns don’t agree with their antecedents (the nouns they replace) in number and gender. Example: The student is eating their own lunch.	If the antecedent is singular, use a singular pronoun. If the antecedent is plural, use a plural pronoun. Corrected example: The students is eating his own lunch.
Modifiers are not placed close to the word they modify which creates confusion. Example: Flying high, the kite hit the bird.	Ensure modifiers are placed directly next to the words they modify. Corrected example: The kite, flying high, hit the bird.
Sentence is incomplete and misses subject or a verb. Example: Because it was cold.	Make sure each sentence has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. Corrected example: I got late to work because it was cold.
Using the wrong word can change the meaning of a sentence. Example: I am going to loose my books.  (loose means not tight)	Be watchful of words usage. Use a dictionary to find the correct word if needed. Corrected example: I am going to lose my books. (lose means misplaced)
Using different grammatical forms. Example: I like reading, writing and to dance.	Ensure consistency in the sentence structure while presenting parallel ideas. Corrected example: I like reading, writing and dancing.

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