Order of Subjects and Predicates Parts of the Sentence Order of Subjects and Predicates

Classical Sentences We all know the classic sentence, and we love it because it follows a very easy formula: Subject Verb. Jennifer stole the car. What is the action? Stole Who/what did the action? Jennifer

But… Not all sentences follow this nice neat pattern, so we must be ready to deal with them. They generally fall into one of four categories: Commands Here/There Sentences Questions Inverted Sentences

Commands When someone tells you to do something, it may sound like a fragment with no subject: Open the door. However, there is a subject in these cases: the understood “you” Close the window. What is the action? Close Who/What is doing the action? You Check the oil in your car. Check

Here/There Sentences Here/These Sentences can be problematic Here is the dollar. Even though “Here” is at the beginning of the sentence, it is not the person/thing that “is” So what “is” here? Dollar HERE/THERE are never the subject of a sentence! There was a nice car here earlier! What is the verb? Was Who/What “was”? Car

Questions Questions rarely begin with the subject: Where is my next class? Even though “Where” is the first word, it is not the thing that “is” An easy way to discern the subject is to answer the question! My next class is over there. What “is”? Class Can Kevin help me move this desk? What is the verb? Can move Who/What can move? Kevin Kevin can help me move this desk.

Inverted Sentences Inverted sentences are those that begin with a phrase (prepositional or otherwise) that is not the subject of the sentence. Across the hall is the bathroom. Again, even though “hall” come before the verb “is,” the hall is not the thing that “is across.” What is across the hall? Bathroom Again, reorder the sentence. The bathroom is across the hall. Into the garbage can fell the trash. What is the verb? Fell Who/What fell? Trash

Practice Write the following sentences, circle the simple subject and underline the simple predicate Clean your room after dinner. Here will be the place. How did Megan and George find the answer? Over the mountain lives and thrives a herd of goats. There is a spider under the box. Drive your grandmother to the store. Was she correct? In a few will arrive my new computer.