Which type of clause can stand alone as a complete sentence?

An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence because it expresses a complete thought and contains both a subject and a predicate. For example, in the sentence "She enjoys reading," "She" is the subject and "enjoys reading" is the predicate, making it a fully formed idea that doesn’t require additional information to be clear.

In contrast, a dependent clause, subordinate clause, or interrogative clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. A dependent clause relies on an independent clause to provide meaning and context; it often begins with subordinating conjunctions like "although," "because," or "if." A subordinate clause is essentially the same as a dependent clause. An interrogative clause, which poses a question, also cannot function independently without additional information. Therefore, the independent clause is the only type of clause that fulfills the criteria of being a standalone sentence.