Question

Which sentence is NOT a simple sentence?

a. She enjoys golf but prefers swimming.
b. The cat in our backyard screeched horribly all night.
c. The entire property is surrounded by a chain-link fence.
d. Both my friend and I left our bicycles at the recreation center.

Answer 1

A simple sentence contains the basic element that make a sentence and that is a subject and a predicate. The sentence must one independent clause and expresses one idea. In the choices enumerated above a. She enjoys golf but prefers swimming is not a simple sentence because it does not represent one ide but two. If you break down the sentence, it could be: ‘She enjoys golf’ and ‘She prefers swimming’. The rest of the choices contain one idea only.