Which sentence is a simple sentence?

Which sentence is a simple sentence?

• A. The rain stopped.
• B. The rain stopped, and the game began.
• C. Because it rained, the game was canceled.
• D. The runners are running fast.

Answer: (A)

A simple sentence contains one independent clause—a single complete thought with one subject and one predicate. The rain stopped fits this perfectly: it has the subject The rain and the verb stopped, forming one clear idea. The other sentences add more than one independent clause or begin with a dependent clause, which changes their structure. The sentence with two actions joined by and includes two complete thoughts, so it’s a compound sentence. The sentence that starts with Because it rained has a dependent clause at the front, so it’s a complex sentence.

A simple sentence contains one independent clause—a single complete thought with one subject and one predicate. The rain stopped fits this perfectly: it has the subject The rain and the verb stopped, forming one clear idea.

The other sentences add more than one independent clause or begin with a dependent clause, which changes their structure. The sentence with two actions joined by and includes two complete thoughts, so it’s a compound sentence. The sentence that starts with Because it rained has a dependent clause at the front, so it’s a complex sentence.