Simple Sentences
One complete thought with a subject and a predicate
Learn how to recognize, write, and improve simple sentences. Practice with activities and download a ready-to-print worksheet.
Lesson Objectives
Identify
Find the subject and predicate in simple sentences.
Write
Create clear, correct simple sentences.
Fix
Correct fragments and run-ons into simple sentences.
Expand
Use compound subjects or verbs to add detail.
What is a Simple Sentence?
One independent clause (subject + predicate) expressing a complete thought.
- Must have a subject (who/what) and a predicate (verb + the rest).
- Can be short or long, as long as the thought is complete.
- No dependent clause markers like because, although, if.
💡 Quick Test: If you can put "It is true that..." in front and it makes sense, you probably have a simple sentence!
⚠️ Watch out: Don't confuse length with complexity. "The very tired students" is still one simple subject!
Subject and Predicate
- Subject: who or what the sentence is about.
- Predicate: what the subject does or is.
Tip: Find the verb first, then ask "Who/What + verb?"
💡 Memory Aid: Subject = doer, Predicate = what they do/are
Identifying the Subject
Note: Modifiers can come with the subject (the red bus), but the simple subject is the main noun (bus).
🔍 Pro Tip: Cross out prepositional phrases first—they usually aren't the subject!
Identifying the Predicate
📝 Remember: The predicate includes the verb + everything that comes after it (objects, complements, modifiers).
Common Simple Sentence Patterns
SV
Birds fly.
Rain falls.
SSV
Ken and Ana study.
My parents and I cooked.
SVV
She sings and dances.
They laughed and clapped.
SSVV
Ken and Ana read and write.
Mom and Dad shop and cook.
Remember: Even with compound parts, it’s still one independent clause → still a simple sentence.
What a Simple Sentence is NOT
- Not compound (two independent clauses joined by a coordinator).
- Not complex (one independent + at least one dependent clause).
- Watch for words like because, although, when, if → these start dependent clauses.
Fragments vs Simple Sentences
- Fragment: lacks a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.
- Simple sentence: has both subject and predicate → complete thought.
⚠️ Common Fragment Trap: Starting with "Because," "Although," "When," or "If" usually creates a fragment—you need more!
Run-ons vs Simple Sentences
- Run-on: two independent clauses incorrectly joined.
- Fix by adding a period, a semicolon, or a comma + coordinator (and, but, or, so, for, nor, yet).
🚨 Red Flag: If you can insert "and" between two parts and both sides still make complete sense, you might have a run-on!
Punctuation in Simple Sentences
- End punctuation: period (.), question mark (?), exclamation (!)
- Use a comma to separate items in a series within a simple sentence.
- Do not use a comma between the subject and the verb.
✋ Stop! Never put a comma between the subject and verb: "The students, walked" is wrong!
Combine for Clarity
Combine two short ideas into one simple sentence using a compound subject or verb.
Common Mistakes
Fragments
Comma splice
💪 Quick Fix Strategy: Read your sentence out loud—if you naturally pause but there's no punctuation, you might need to fix it!
Guided Practice
Identify subject and predicate; decide if it’s a fragment or a simple sentence.
Practice: Choose the Best Answer
Question:
Tip: Check for a subject and a complete predicate.
Activity: Subject Hunt
Click all the words that make up the subject.
In the quiet library , the students studied .
Hint: The subject is who/what the sentence is about. In this sentence, it’s just before the verb.
🎯 Hunt Strategy: Look for WHO or WHAT the sentence talks about. Skip descriptive words at the beginning!
Activity: Predicate Hunt
Click all the words that make up the predicate.
My dog barked loudly at night .
🔍 Predicate Detective: Find the action word (verb) first, then grab everything that tells us about that action!
Activity: Fragment or Simple Sentence?
Choose F (fragment) or S (simple sentence).
- When the power returned.
- The lights turned on.
- Because the rain stopped.
- We left the shelter.
⚠️ Fragment Alert: If it starts with "When," "Because," or "After," it's probably incomplete—what happened next?
Activity: Build a Simple Sentence
Choose a subject and a predicate to make a complete simple sentence.
- +
🔧 Builder Tip: Pick the subject first (who does it), then choose the predicate that makes sense together!
Quick Check
📝 Quick Test: Cover "The baby"—does "slept peacefully" make sense alone? No! So "The baby" is the subject.
Practice Booster
Keep going to build confidence.
Question:
💪 Confidence Builder: Don't worry about speed—focus on getting the logic right first!
Assessment
How to take this: Choose the best answer for each question, then click Check Answers.
🎯 Assessment Strategy: Read each sentence twice—once for meaning, once to check for subject and predicate!
Loading questions…
Key Takeaways
🏆 Master Tip: When writing, ask yourself: "Who did what?" If you can answer both, you probably have a simple sentence!
Nice Work!
You completed the Simple Sentences lesson
Press R to reset or F for fullscreen when presenting.
Next Steps
- Retake the assessment
- Fix fragments in your writing
- Write 5 simple sentences using different patterns
🌟 Keep Growing: Simple sentences are the foundation—master these and complex writing becomes much easier!