Which characteristic describes an independent clause?

Question

It is a group of words containing subject or a verb but not both
It expresses an incomplete thought
It includes the subject and a verb and can stand alone
It describes the action in a sentence and cannot stand alone

Answer 1

The characteristic that describes an independent clause is:

It includes the subject and a verb and can stand alone.

An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can function as a complete sentence.