Understanding Sentence Subjects

• A sentence has two essential parts: the subject and the predicate

Subject

• The subject indicates who or what the sentence is about
• It typically appears at the beginning of the sentence
• The subject is often a noun or pronoun
• It can be a single word or a phrase
• Simple Subject: The main noun or pronoun that the sentence is about
  • Example: The dog barked; "dog" remains the simple subject
• Complete Subject: Includes the simple subject and all its modifiers
  • Example: The big brown dog barked; "The big brown dog" is the complete subject
• Compound Subject: Two or more subjects joined by a conjunction that share the same predicate
  • Example: John and Mary went to the store; "John" and "Mary" are the compound subjects
• Subjects can be implied, particularly in commands
  • Example: "Go home," where the subject "you" is implied
• Sentences may begin with words that are not the subject
  • Example: "In the garden, the cat slept," where "cat" is the subject
• Sentences can feature a "dummy" subject
  • Example: "It is raining,” "it" serves as a dummy subject without referring to anything
• Identify the subject by asking, "Who or what is performing the action?"

Predicate

• The predicate describes what the subject does or is
• It contains the verb and all the words that modify it
• It usually follows the subject
• It makes a statement about the subject
• Simple Predicate: The main verb in the sentence
  • Example: The dog barked; "barked" is the simple predicate
• Complete Predicate: Includes the verb and all its modifiers, objects, or complements
  • Example: The dog barked loudly at the car; "barked loudly at the car" is the complete predicate
• Compound Predicate: Two or more verbs connected by a conjunction that share the same subject
  • Example: She sang and danced on the stage; "sang" and "danced" are the compound predicates
• Identify the predicate by asking, "What is the subject doing, or what is happening to the subject?"
• The predicate can be a single word
  • Example: "I think," where "think" is the predicate

Identifying Subject and Predicate

• First, locate the verb, which indicates the action or state of being
• Ask "Who or what is performing this action?", this determines the subject
• Everything else in the sentence, excluding the subject, constitutes the predicate

Examples

• "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" includes:
  • Subject: The quick brown fox
  • Predicate: jumps over the lazy dog
• "She is reading a book" includes:
  • Subject: She
  • Predicate: is reading a book
• "My brother and I play soccer in the park" includes:
  • Subject: My brother and I
  • Predicate: play soccer in the park
• "Running is good exercise" includes:
  • Subject: Running
  • Predicate: is good exercise
• "There are many stars in the sky" includes:
  • Subject: stars
  • Predicate: are in the sky
• "Please close the door" includes:
  • Subject: (You) [Implied]
  • Predicate: close the door

The subject identifies who or what the sentence is about. It usually appears at the beginning and can be a simple, complete, or compound noun or pronoun. Subjects are sometimes implied, and sentences can begin with non-subject words.