Subjects, Predicates, & More
A group of words that contains a subject and its
predicate and makes a complete thought.
Donny watched.
is a sentence.
If Donny watched
is not a sentence.
“If Donny watched,” then what?
I.O
D.O
Subject
Predicate
Subj.
Comp.
I gave him the ring.
I was finally relieved.
him
I.O
the ring
D.O
I
gave
Subject
Predicate
was
Subj.
Comp.
relieved
I.O
D.O
I gave him the ring.
I gave the ring to him.
D.O
Object of the
preposition
I was finally relieved.
 Every sentence has two basic parts.
SUBJECT
PREDICATE
figure pounded
out what thethe sailboat.
Huge cresting To
waves
subject is, ask the question,
“don’t they?” or “can’t they?”
to the end of a sentence.
subject tells Whatever
whom or
what
sentence is about.
“they”
or “it”the
refers
to is the subject of the
predicate tells what
the subject is or does or what
sentence.
The
The
happens to the subject.
 The basic elements of a sentence are the simple subject
and the simple predicate. The simple predicate is a
VERB!!
 The simple subject is the key word or words in the
subject.
 The simple predicate is the verb or verb phrase that
tells something about the subject.
 The simple subject and the simple predicate do NOT
include any describing words like adjectives and adverbs.
The violent storm battered the sailboat.
Simple subject.
Ask who or what does
something.
(noun or pronoun)
Simple predicate.
Ask what the subject is or
does or what happens to
it. (verb)
The violent
BATTERED the sailboat.
STORM
If you cannot find the simple subject and simple
predicate in a sentence, you have created a
SENTENCE FRAGMENT which is an incomplete
thought.
For example,
Blew a boat with five fishermen out into the Pacific Ocean.
Missing?
Subject
Sharks around the boat all the time.
Missing?
Predicate
Identify the simple subject and simple predicate in the following
sentences.
1. Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida in August 1992.
2. This ferocious storm destroyed several communities.
3. The high winds also tore a county zoo apart.
4. Many animals, afraid of the wind, cowered in their cages.
5. Many Florida residents will remember this storm for the rest of
their lives.
Identify the simple subject and simple predicate in the following
sentences.
1. Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida in August 1992.
2. This ferocious storm destroyed several communities.
3. The high winds also tore a county zoo apart.
4. Many animals, afraid of the wind, cowered in their cages.
5. Many Florida residents will remember this storm for the rest of
their lives.
 Collected rainwater in canvas bags and old metal
containers.
 Needs SUBJECT
 Costa Rica a parade and celebration for the men’s
homecoming.
 Needs PREDICATE
 Finally, a Japanese ship rescued the weary crew.
 Nothing Wrong
 The complete subject includes simple subject and all the
words that describe it.
 The complete predicate includes the verb and all the
words that describe it.
Disaster movies fascinate nearly everyone.
Complete Subject: Disaster movies
Complete Predicate: fascinate nearly everyone.
NOTICE!
Every word in the sentence is part of the complete subject or the complete
predicate.
Underline the compound subject or compound predicates in the following
sentences. Circle the simple subjects and verbs.
•
Children and adults can survive frigid weather for a long time.
•
Cold water signals the brain and triggers a ‘diving reflex.’
•
The brain slows and needs only half the normal level of oxygen.
•
Electrical activity and chemical actions in the brain keep the body alive.
•
The heart and brain can survive for 40 or 50 minutes in this state.
A sentence can have more than one subject or verb.
A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects that
SHARE a verb.
Ciera and Alex share the same desk.
COMPOUND SUBJECT
VERB
A sentence can have more than one subject or verb.
A compound verb is made up of two or more verbs or verb
phrases that are joined by a conjunction and have the
SAME SUBJECT.
The exhausted diver ached and moaned.
COMPOUND VERB
Underline the compound subject or compound predicates in the following
sentences. Circle the simple subjects and verbs.
•
Children and adults can survive frigid weather for a long time.
•
Cold water signals the brain and triggers a ‘diving reflex.’
•
The brain slows and needs only half the normal level of oxygen.
•
Electrical activity and chemical actions in the brain keep the body alive.
•
The heart and brain can survive for 40 or 50 minutes in this state.
D.O
Subject
Predicate
Then look
for a
direct
object!
A noun or pronoun that tells
WHO or WHAT RECEIVES
the action of the verb.
Nothing can escape a black hole.
Direct Object
John gave me the book.
DO?
John gave me the book. (The book RECEIVES the action of
being given.)
The ball was thrown.
I.O
D.O
Subject
Predicate
There
won’t be
an I.O. if
there is
no D.O.
Nouns or pronouns that tell
TO WHOM or FOR WHAT
the action of the verb is done.
The Hubble telescope showed scientists an enormous black
hole.
Indirect Object
John gave me the book.
IO?
John gave me the book.
The ball was thrown to him.
Subject
Predicate
Subj.
Comp.
Follow
linking verbs and
identify or describe the subject.
(feel, seem, consider, smell, sound, taste)
PRED. NOMINATIVE
PRED. ADJECTIVE
A NOUN used as a subject
complement
An ADJECTIVE used as a
subject complement.
PRED. NOMINATIVE
PRED. ADJECTIVE
A NOUN used as a subject
complement
An ADJECTIVE used as a subject
complement.
The Amazon is a very wide river.
In places, neither bank is visible
from the middle of the river.
1.
The American West offers residents and tourists an abundance of
beautiful rock formations.
2.
For example, Bryce Canyon in Utah is popular among sightseers and
photographers.
3.
Visitors find its multicolored formations unspeakably gorgeous.
4.
The huge sandstone arches also show humans the power of erosion.
5.
The federal government made Bryce Canyon a national park in 1928.
 A sentence can be used to make a statement, ask a
question, give a command, or show strong feelings.
 There are four kinds of sentences:
 Declarative
 Interrogative
 Imperative
 Exclamatory
We’ve never swum out this far.
This kind of sentence expresses a fact, wish, intent, or
feeling. It always ends with a period.
Write your own.
1.
2.
3.
Is that a shark following us?
This kind of sentence asks a question and always ends in a
question mark.
Write your own.
1.
2.
3.
Hide until it leaves. Now swim for shore!
This kind of sentence expresses a command, request, or
direction. (It usually ends with a period. If the command is
strong, it may end with an exclamation point. )
Write your own.
1.
2.
Leave me alone.
Do your work.
Listen.
We almost didn’t make it!
This kind of sentence expresses strong feelings. It always
ends in an exclamation point.
Write your own.
1.
2.
3.
Look at the following cartoon….
Write a dialogue for it using
All four different types of
sentences.
Be creative!
Usually, subjects come before verbs. However, on some
occasions subjects appear in unusual positions—after
verbs or inside verb phrases.
In an inverted sentence, the subject comes after the verb or
part of the verb phrase.
Usual Order: The savage storm came down on the Spanish
galleon.
Inverted Order: Down came the savage storm on the Spanish
galleon.
Usual Order:
The sea swept across the deck of the hopeless ship.
Inverted Order:
Across the deck of the hopeless ship swept the sea.
Sentences Beginning with Here or There.
Though “here” or “there” may begin a sentence, these
words are rarely the subjects.
In fact, the subject of a sentence that begins with one of
these words usually follows the verb.
Ex: Here is the massive anchor of the galleon.
There lies the great ship, far beneath the ocean.
Agreement between subject and verb can be tricky.
Identify the subject before deciding on the verb form.
Here is the massive anchor of the galleon.
Anchor is
Here are the massive anchors of the galleon.
Anchors are
In a question, the subject usually comes after the verb or
inside the verb phrase.
Subject After Verb
EX: Was the cargo of the galleon valuable?
Subject inside Verb Phrase
EX: Did the great ship survive the storm?
In an imperative sentence, the subject is usually “you.”
Request: (You) Please read the ancient scroll.
Command: (You) Beware of the wild sea.
A complement (not compliment)…is a word or word
group that follows the verb and complete its meaning.
There are 4 types of complements:
1. Direct objects
2. Objective complements
3. Indirect objects
4. Subject complements
A noun or adjective that follows the direct object and
identifies or describes it.
ONLY CERTAIN VERBS & THEIR SYNONYMS CAN
BE FOLLOWED BY OBJECTIVE COMPLEMENTS.
appoint, choose, consider, elect, keep, make, name, call,
find, make, think.
 Over 1,500 species of fish call the Great Barrier Reef
home.
 Over 1,500 species of fish call the Great Barrier Reef
home. (home=objective complement)
 Its colorful formations make the reef unique.
 Its colorful formations make the reef unique.