The simple sentence is the most natural sentence structure. It contains a single clause, usually consisting of only a subject and predicate.
Jenny ate a dog.
Peter stole another billfold.
Mother scratched.
This is the first type of sentence children learn, and the most common in everyday speech. For writers, simple sentences are priceless to capture the reader’s attention and drive the plot forward. Of course, like all good things, simple sentences must be meted with care; overusing them can result in choppy and immature writing.
All simple sentences consist of a subject and predicate.
The lover—climbed the fence.
The dandelion seeds—have blown all over the place.
That Timmy loves hanging out with lovely Brenda—doesn’t surprise his dad.
Purple—is Courtney’s favorite color.
Finally, a simple sentence may consist of one or many words:
Grow!
Flowers grow.
Flowers grow wildly.
Flowers grow wildly on the edge of the forest.
The flowers that are cosseted under the shade of tall trees grow wildly on the edge of the forest.
We’ve constructed the above example to dispel a myth dear to many writers; namely, that one can tell a simple sentence from a compound or complex one by its length. Not so. A simple sentence can contain any number of words. But writers should be wary of long simple sentences, as they tend to be difficult to read and comprehend.
Simple Sentences
The simple sentence is the most natural sentence structure. It contains a single clause, usually consisting of only a subject and predicate.
Peter stole another billfold.
Mother scratched.
This is the first type of sentence children learn, and the most common in everyday speech. For writers, simple sentences are priceless to capture the reader’s attention and drive the plot forward. Of course, like all good things, simple sentences must be meted with care; overusing them can result in choppy and immature writing.