Sentence Structure

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.

An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence.

The complete subject includes all the words that tell who or what the sentence is about, including modifiers.

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate.

A phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject and a verb and does not express a complete thought.

A simple sentence consists of one independent clause and expresses a complete thought.

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction.

A complex sentence consists of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

The subject is 'The dog'.

The predicate is 'slept on the mat'.