Which term refers to an independent clause in a sentence?

• A. Sugnay na makapag-iisa
• B. Paglalahad
• C. Pagsasalaysay
• D. Ponema

Answer: (A)

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence because it has a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought. In Filipino grammar, this is called sugnay na makapag-iisa. For example: “Si Ana ay kumain.” It has a clear subject “Si Ana” and a predicate “ay kumain,” and it conveys a complete idea on its own.

Dependent clauses, on the other hand, cannot stand alone because they don’t form a complete thought and often rely on another part of the sentence. For instance, “dahil gutom siya” can’t stand alone; when paired with a main clause it becomes a full sentence: “Dahil gutom siya, kumain siya.”

So, the term for an independent clause is sugnay na makapag-iisa. The other terms refer to different ideas: paglalahad is exposition, pagsasalaysay is narration, and ponema means a phoneme in language.