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English 9 | Pellauer
Grammar
Name: _____________________
Parts of the Sentence: Subjects & Verbs
Why are we doing this?
I want to give you the skills and vocabulary to prevent writing sentence
fragments and run-on sentences.
XOXO, Grammar Guy
A sentence is a grammatically complete group of words that expresses a thought.
A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete
thought.
A sentence must tell you two things:
1. The person, animal, or thing that the sentence is about  SUBJECT
2. What that person, animal, or thing does or is  PREDICATE
Every sentence has two essential parts:
Sentence Part
What It Does
Subject
Names the person, thing, or
idea that the sentence is
about
Predicate: the verb and all of Tells
its objects, modifiers
o what the subject does,
(adverbs), etc.
o what the subject is, or
o what happens to subject
Example
Grammar Guy loves to
go to the movies.
Grammar Guy loves to
go to the movies.
loves = verb
How to identify predicates:
How to identify subjects:
1. Ask who or what the sentence is
about.
2. Find the main person or thing in
the sentence.
3. Look for a noun or pronoun.
4. Look for the verb. The subject is
usually right before it.
Be aware that there may be more than
one subject in a sentence.
1. Ask what the subject is doing.
2. Look for a word that shows action.
3. Look for common verb endings like
–ing or –ed, or if you can add –ing to
a word, it is probably a verb.
4. Look for the subject. The verb
usually comes after it.
5. Be aware that there may be more
than one verb in a sentence.
6. Words like is, was, are, am, was,
were, has, have, had, seems (linking
verbs) will always be at least part of
the verb.
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Exercise #1: Identifying Subjects and Verbs
Underline the subject and circle the verb. When the subject is a proper noun, underline
the entire proper noun.
1. Alfred Nobel was a nineteenth-century Swedish chemist and inventor.
2. He made a great deal of money as the inventor of dynamite.
3. Nobel created a fund for prizes for outstanding achievement.
4. Since 1917, committees of Swedish experts have been awarding annual prizes in
chemistry, physics, medicine, literature, and peace.
5. Each prize carries a cash award, a medal, and worldwide recognition.
6. Nobel Prize winners are called Nobel laureates.
7. Sometimes two or more persons share an award.
8. President Obama recently won the Peace Prize.
Exercise #2: Identifying Fragments
Determine why the following sentences are fragments by circling what’s missing.
1. Wondering why she never called anymore.
Missing subject or verb
2. Located in Alabama, the city of Birmingham.
Missing subject or verb.
3. At the end of the sad song.
Missing subject or verb.
4. The cat sitting in the window.
Missing subject or verb.
5. Shielded from the force of the driving wind.
Missing subject or verb.
Exercise #3: Fixing Fragments
A sentence must have a subject, a verb, and express a complete thought. Label the
subject and verb in each sentence. Then complete the sentence to finish the thought.
6. When Justine saw the moose ___________________________________________
7. Although the president didn’t understand the reporter ________________________
8. Because J.D. Salinger wrote Catcher _____________________________________
9. If he comes home without the groceries ___________________________________
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Parts of the Sentence: Direct and Indirect Objects
Why are we doing this?
I want to give you the skills and vocabulary to know which pronouns to use
both in English and other languages.
XOXO, Grammar Guy
There are two types of verbs: action verbs and linking verbs (is, am, has, does). Only
action verbs can have objects.
Remember our friend, the prepositional phrase? A prepositional phrase never contains
the subject, direct object, or indirect object of a sentence. This is because prepositional
phrases can be removed from the sentence without damaging it.
IO
DO
Example:
Please tell Jim the answer.
DO
Please tell the answer to Jim.
[“to Jim” is a prepositional phrase”]
Part of the
Sentence
Definition
How to Find It
Example
Direct object (DO)
Noun or pronoun that
receives the action of
an action verb
1. Find the action
verb
2. Ask whom? or
what? after the
action verb
Indirect object (IO)
Noun or pronoun that
answers the question
to whom, for whom,
to what, or for what
following an action
verb.
Grammar Guy
takes French.
1. Takes
2. Takes what?
3. French
Grammar Guy
gives the
students writing
tips.
1. Gives
2. Writing tips to
whom?
3. students
1.
2.
3.
Find the action
verb
Find the direct
object
Ask to/for
whom? or to/for
what?
Exercise #1: Identifying Direct Objects
Underline the direct object in each of the sentences below.
1. Patrick Bronte lost his wife in 1821.
2. He had a parish in Yorkshire, England.
3. Reverend Bronte’s six children all created fantasy stories during their childhoods.
4. Charlotte Bronte published Jane Eyre in 1847.
5. Anne Bronte wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
6. Emily Bronte, author of Wuthering Heights, loved the Yorkshire moors.
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Exercise #2: Identifying Indirect Objects
Underline the indirect object in the sentences below.
1. The French gave Louis XIV the crown at the age of five.
2. Louis gave France the longest reign in recorded history: seventy-five years.
3. Louis built himself an exquisite and elaborate palace, Versailles.
4. The palace offered people the pleasure of gardens, pools, and even a zoo.
5. Louis assigned his visitors elaborate rules of conduct to keep them busy.
6. A nobleman would offer the king a deep bow at dinner.
Exercise #3: Identifying Direct and Indirect Objects
Label DO for direct object and IO for indirect object.
1. Democrats gave John F. Kennedy the presidential nomination in 1960.
2. Kennedy’s charm won the loyalty of many supporters.
3. However, many Democratic leaders doubted his ability to win the election.
4. Some questioned Kennedy’s experience since he was just forty-three years old.
5. Others gave him high marks for the hope and energy he inspired among Americans.
Exercise #4: Sentence Composition – Putting It All Together
Write a sentence for each of the following patterns, using articles whenever needed.
N = Noun
ADJ = Adjective
V = Verb
ADV = Adverb
PRO = Pronoun
PREP = Preposition
Example: N V N.
The dog (noun) chewed (verb) the sneakers (noun).
1. N V N N.
______________________________________________________________________
2. N V N ADJ N.
______________________________________________________________________
3. N ADV V N.
______________________________________________________________________
4. PRO V ADJ N PREP N.
______________________________________________________________________