SUBJECTS AND
PREDICATES
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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:
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Subject
Verb
Expresses a complete thought
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Predicates
•
The Simple Predicate and the
Complete Predicate
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–
The predicate of a sentence is the part
that says something about the subject.
Its official name is the complete
predicate
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Predicates
•
More difficult example:
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Has Richie helped you?
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has helped you is the complete predicate
has helped is the simple predicate
The simple predicate consists of the entire
verb phrase
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Predicates
•
Another example:
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The student will not fail this class.
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will not fail this class is the complete
predicate
will fail is the simple predicate
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Subjects
•
Example
–
A student with an impressive work ethic
will do well in class.
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•
A student with an impressive work ethic is
the complete subject
A student is the simple subject
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
How to Find the
Subject of a Sentence
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Example
–
Gum was placed on the desk
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The verb is was placed
Ask yourself who or what was placed?
The answer (gum) is the subject of the
sentence
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
How to Find the
Subject of a Sentence
•
More difficult example
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Beyond the classroom door walks an
assistant principal.
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What is the verb?
– Walks
Ask yourself who is walking?
The answer (assistant principal) is the
subject of the sentence
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
How to Find the
Subject of a Sentence
•
Very Helpful Hint
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The subject is never in a prepositional
phrase
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
How to Find the
Subject of a Sentence
•
Example
–
One of my friends plays on the team.
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•
What is the verb?
– Plays
Ask yourself who is doing the playing?
– Friends?
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
The Subject in
an Unusual Position
•
Sentences beginning with There or
Here
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–
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
The Subject in an
Unusual Position
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Example
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There are two desks in the classroom.
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•
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The verb is are
Ask yourself who or what are?
The answer: desks
The subject of the sentence is desks
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
The Subject in an
Unusual Position
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Sentences that ask a question
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–
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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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
The Subject in an
Unusual Position
•
Examples
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Why is he running?
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The subject is he
How do you feel?
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The subject is you
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
The Subject in an
Unusual Position
•
Example
–
Were the students late?
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•
•
The subject is students
Helpful Hint: You can turn questions into
statements in order to help you find the
subject
The students were late.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Sentences in Which the
Subject is Understood
•
Example
–
Clean up this room!
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The verb is clean
Who is doing the cleaning?
The subject is you
– A subject of this kind is said to be
understood.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Compound Subjects
And Verbs
•
Example
–
The boy and the girl studied for the
test.
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The verb is studied
Who studied?
The subject is boy and girl
– Compound subject
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
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
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Compound Subjects
And Verbs
•
Example
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The students talked and whispered
during class.
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•
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The verbs are talked and whispered
Who talked and whispered?
The subject is students
talked and whispered are called a
compound verb
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Assignment
•
Please rewrite the following
sentences. Underline the simple
subject once and the simple
predicate twice.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Assignment
1. There were eight students in class.
2. My mom and dad enjoy driving
across country.
3. The student studied for the test.
4. When should we go to the
restaurant?
5. Pick up your clothes.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Assignment
6. An article about the new plans for
downtown was published in the
newspaper.
7. He bought a broken C.D. player and
installed it in his car.
8. During the summer months, many
children participate in the summer
reading program.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and
Assignment
9. Here are the missing pieces to the
puzzle.
10. Only one of many students loudly
proclaimed his protest to the
cafeteria’s lunch menu.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Subjects and