Which term describes a clause that can stand alone as a sentence?

• A. Clauses
• B. Subordinate clause
• C. Independent clause
• D. Prepositional phrase

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is recognizing which type of clause forms a complete sentence on its own. An independent clause has both a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought, so it can stand alone as a sentence. That’s why this term fits: it names the unit that can be a complete sentence by itself.

In contrast, a subordinate (or dependent) clause has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought by itself and relies on another clause to form a full sentence. A prepositional phrase adds information but does not have a subject and a finite verb, so it cannot stand as a sentence on its own.