A simple sentence, also known as a main clause, shows one clear idea. It has one subject (what or who) and one verb (a doing word). Scott struggles through the snow. A compound sentence joins two ...

Letters represent sounds. Words are built from letters. A group of words makes a phrase. Add a subject and verb, and you have a clause. If that clause expresses a complete thought, we call it a ...

A complex sentence communicates more than one idea. One part (the main clause) is like a simple sentence: it can stand on its own. The other part (the minor clause) gives more detail about the simple ...

A dependent clause cannot stand alone, though they often contain both a subject and a verb. Where independent clauses express complete thoughts, dependent clauses do not, and left on their own, ...