Chapter 8
Subject, Predicates, and Sentences
I. Kind of Sentences
A. Sentence – group of words that have a complete thought
B. Declarative – makes a statement, ends with a period
C. Interrogative – asks a question, ends with a question mark
D. Exclamation – expresses strong feeling and ends with an exclamation point
E. Imperative – gives a command or makes a request. Ends with a period.
II. Sentence and sentence fragments
A. Every sentence has two parts, a subject and a predicate
1. Subject – whom or what the sentence is about
2. Predicate – tells what the subject does or has. It can also describe what the subject is
or is like.
B. Sentence fragment – does not have a complete thought
1. May be missing a subject, predicate, or both
2. Often used is speech
III. Subjects and Predicates
A. Subjects
1. Complete subjects – includes all the words in the subject
2. Simple subjects – main word or words in the complete subject
a. noun – names a person, place or thing
b. pronoun – takes the place of noun
c. can be a complete subject
B. Predicates
1. Complete predicate – includes all the words in the predicate
2. Simple predicate – main word or group of words in the complete predicate
a. verb - expresses action or a state of being
b. can be a complete predicate – see D in Identifying Subjects below
IV. Identifying the Subject
A.
B.
C.
D.
Most statements begin with the subject
Many questions begin with the predicate
The predicate begins statements with start with: There is, There are, Here is, Here are
In commands, the subject is not usually stated – you is understood as the subject
V. Compound Subject and Predicates
A. Compound Subject - has two or more simple subjects
1. two simple subjects joined by and or by both…and, a plural verb is used
2. two simple subjects joined by or or by nor, a plural or singular verb is used
B. Compound Predicate – has two or more simple predicates or verbs that have the same
subject that are connected by and, but, or, or nor
VI. Simple and Compound Sentences
A. Simple Sentence – one subject and one predicate
B. Compound Sentence – contains two or more simple sentences
1. has two complete subjects and two complete predicates
2. joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or by a semicolon
C. Run-on Sentence - two or more sentences incorrectly written as one sentence