ParaPro Assessment Practice Exam 2025 – Your Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

An independent clause is defined by its ability to stand alone as a complete sentence. What makes this option the correct choice is the requirement of a subject, a verb, and the expression of a complete thought. This means that the clause conveys a full idea without needing additional information. For example, in the independent clause "She runs every morning," there is a clear subject ("She"), a verb ("runs"), and it communicates a complete thought that can stand on its own.

The other options fail to meet all the criteria needed to characterize an independent clause. Simply having a subject and a verb does not ensure that the idea is complete; it could leave the reader with unanswered questions. Including a dependent clause would indicate that the clause is reliant on additional information to convey a full idea, which contradicts the definition of independence. Lastly, a phrase without a subject lacks the fundamental structure required for an independent clause, thus making it insufficient.