simple sentence may take, their number usually being determined by the number of predicates. It is also noteworthy that Romanian terminology for the terms simple sentence, complex sentence, and phrase is somewhat counterintuitive. The Romanian term propoziție means as much as simple sentence (or clause). To describe a complex sentence (or compound sentence), Romanian uses the word frază, which can cause confusion with the English word phrase, which describes not a complex sentence, but a grouping of words. In consequence, Romanian doesn't have terms for the English noun phrase, or verb phrase, preferring the more commonly understood term predicate for the latter. The former has no formal equivalent in Romanian. Simple sentences can be of two types: main clauses and subordinate clauses Main clause The main clause, within a complex sentence, does not rely on another sentence to be fully understood. In other words, it has stand-alone meaning. The following example has the verb phrase underlined. Example:Am văzut copiii din curtea școlii.I have seen the children in the school courtyard. Even though this sentence is long, it is still composed of a single simple sentence, which is a main clause. Subordinate clause A subordinate clause cannot have a stand-alone meaning. It relies on a main clause to give it meaning. It usually determines or defines an element of another clause, be it a main clause, or a subordinate one. The following example has the verb phrase underlined, and the element of relation, which is to say, the relative pronoun used to link the two sentences, in bold. The sentences are also separated and numbered. Example:Am văzut copiii 1/ care sunt în curtea școlii. 2/I have seen the children 1/ who are in the school courtyard. 2/ There are also subordinate clauses other than the relative clause, which is an attributive clause, since it determines a noun, pronoun or numeral, and not a verb phrase. Here is a list of examples illustrating some of the remaining cases: Direct Object Clause (propoziție subordonată completivă directă):Înțeleg 1/ ce zice profesoara. 2/I understand 1/ what the teacher is saying. 2/ Indirect Object Clause (propoziție subordonată completivă indirectă):Mă gândesc 1/ la ce spune profesoara. 2/I am thinking 1/ about what the teacher is saying. 2/ Subject Clause (propoziție subordonată subiectivă):Ceea ce zice profesoara, 1/ e corect. 2/What the teacher is saying, 1/ is true. 2/ Local Circumstantial Object Clause (propoziție subordonată completivă circumstanțială de loc):Mă