What type of sentence is defined by containing only one independent clause?

• A. Complex sentence
• B. Simple sentence
• C. Compound sentence
• D. Compound-complex sentence

Answer: (B)

A simple sentence is defined as containing only one independent clause, which means it has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. For example, "The dog barks" is a simple sentence because it stands alone as a complete idea without any additional clauses or phrases.

In contrast, a complex sentence includes at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause, which cannot stand alone. A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, and a compound-complex sentence combines elements of both compound and complex sentences, featuring multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Therefore, the identification of a simple sentence as having just one independent clause is what makes this option correct.