SUBJECTS AND PREDICATES

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SUBJECTS AND

PREDICATES

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Sentence

• A sentence is a group of words

containing a subject and a verb and expressing a complete thought

– So, three things are needed for a sentence to be complete:

• Subject

• Verb

• Expresses a complete thought

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Subject and Predicate

• A sentence consists of two parts:

the subject and the predicate. The subject of the sentence is the part about which something is being

said. The predicate is the part that

says something about the subject.

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Geschke--English IV Grammar Unit--Subjects and Predicates

Predicates

• The Simple Predicate and the Complete Predicate

– The predicate of a sentence is the part that says something about the subject.

– Its official name is the complete predicate

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Predicates

• Within the complete predicate, there is always a word or a word group that is the main part of the predicate.

– Presents the key word in completing the statement about the subject

– This is called the simple predicate or verb.

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Predicates

• Example

– The students worked very hard throughout the entire quarter.

• worked very hard throughout the entire quarter is the complete predicate

• worked is the simple predicate

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Predicates

• More difficult example:

– Has Richie helped you?

• has helped you is the complete predicate

• has helped is the simple predicate

• The simple predicate consists of the entire verb phrase

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Predicates

• Another example:

– The student will not fail this class.

• will not fail this class is the complete predicate

• will fail is the simple predicate

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Subjects

• The Simple Subject and the Complete Subject

– The subject of a sentence is the part about which something is being said – Its official name is the complete

subject

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Subjects

• Within the complete subject, there is always a word or a group of

words that is the main part of the subject.

– It is called the simple subject

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Subjects

• Example

– A student with an impressive work ethic will do well in class.

• A student with an impressive work ethic is the complete subject

• A student is the simple subject

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How to Find the

Subject of a Sentence

• The subject can appear at almost any point in the sentence

• The easiest way to find the subject

is to find the verb first

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How to Find the

Subject of a Sentence

• Example

– Gum was placed on the desk

• The verb is was placed

• Ask yourself who or what was placed?

• The answer (gum) is the subject of the sentence

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How to Find the

Subject of a Sentence

• More difficult example

– Beyond the classroom door walks an assistant principal.

• What is the verb?

– Walks

• Ask yourself who is walking?

• The answer (assistant principal) is the subject of the sentence

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How to Find the

Subject of a Sentence

• Very Helpful Hint

– The subject is never in a prepositional phrase

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How to Find the

Subject of a Sentence

• Example

– One of my friends plays on the team.

• What is the verb?

– Plays

• Ask yourself who is doing the playing?

– Friends?

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How to Find the

Subject of a Sentence

• Not correct—friends functions as the object of the prepositional phrase

(remember, a prepositional phrase is made up of the preposition, any

modifiers and the noun or pronoun which functions as the object of the prepositional phrase)

• The correct subject of the sentence

is One

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The Subject in

an Unusual Position

• Sentences beginning with There or Here

– When the word there or here comes at the beginning of a sentence, it may

appear to be the subject, but it is not.

– Remember to ask yourself who or what is doing the action

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The Subject in an Unusual Position

• Example

– There are two desks in the classroom.

• The verb is are

• Ask yourself who or what are?

• The answer: desks

• The subject of the sentence is desks

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The Subject in an Unusual Position

• Sentences that ask a question

– Questions usually begin with a verb

– Also, they frequently begin with words like what, when, where, how and why.

– The subject usually follows the verb

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The Subject in an Unusual Position

• Examples

– Why is he running?

• The subject is he

– How do you feel?

• The subject is you

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The Subject in an Unusual Position

• When questions begin with a

helping verb, the subject always comes between the helping verb and the main verb.

– Remember to find the verb and ask who or what is doing the verb

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The Subject in an Unusual Position

• Example

– Were the students late?

• The subject is students

• Helpful Hint: You can turn questions into statements in order to help you find the subject

• The students were late.

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Sentences in Which the Subject is Understood

• In requests and commands, the subject is usually left out of the sentence.

• The subject of a command or request is you

– Understood but not expressed

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Sentences in Which the Subject is Understood

• Example

– Clean up this room!

• The verb is clean

• Who is doing the cleaning?

• The subject is you

– A subject of this kind is said to be understood.

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Compound Subjects And Verbs

• Compound Subject

– Two or more subjects connected by and or or and having the same verb are called a compound subject

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Compound Subjects And Verbs

• Example

– The boy and the girl studied for the test.

• The verb is studied

• Who studied?

• The subject is boy and girl – Compound subject

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Compound Subjects And Verbs

• Compound Verb

– Two or more verbs joined by a

connecting word and having the same subject are called a compound verb

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Compound Subjects And Verbs

• Example

– The students talked and whispered during class.

• The verbs are talked and whispered

• Who talked and whispered?

• The subject is students

• talked and whispered are called a compound verb