Introduction to Literature - A

Complete sentences A sentence is a group of words with two main parts: Complete subject Complete predicate Together, the complete subject and the complete predicate form a complete thought.

COMPLETE SUBJECTSCOMPLETE PREDICATES Several pilots from various countrieshave vanished in or near the Bermuda Triangle. The Bermuda Triangle, the area in question, lies between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. The U.S.S. Cyclopsdisappeared there in Heread about many different careers. The nurse in the white uniformarrived.

Identifying complete subjects and predicates The tired nurse completed her rounds. Nurses teach preventative care and rehabilitation. Most nurses work in hospitals. Other nurses provide their services in health agencies, nursing homes, offices, schools, and industries. Nurses can be educators, administrators, or supervisors. Most nursing was done at home in the nineteenth century.

Identifying Simple subjects and predicates The simple subject is the essential noun, pronoun, or group of words. The simple predicate is the essential verb or verb phrase All other words add extra information. Two of his friends studied law enforcement. Sick in bed, she had missed her job interview. ***The simple subject is NEVER THE OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION!

Recognizing simple subjects and predicates. A friend of mine visited the police barracks. The police are government agents. They protect citizens from unlawful acts. The US police establishment operates at several levels. Two other federal departments are the Secret Service and the Customs Service.

Compound Subjects A compound subject is two or more subjects that have the same verb and are joined by a conjunction such as and or or. You and she took the exam yesterday. Either the actor or the tailor will talk next. Snow, ice, and flooding made the roads dangerous.

Compound Verbs A compound verb is two or more verbs that have the same subject and are joined by a conjunction such as and or or. I neither want nor need your help. The little children hopped, skipped, and jumped. A sentence can have a compound subject and a compound verb: The boys and girls danced and laughed at the party.

Hard-to-find subjects Subjects in orders and directions: Usually is the understood you (you) Look at the bird on the branch. (You) Look at the bird on the branch. Michael, come here. Michael, (you) come here.

Hard-to-find subject practice During the autumn, enjoy the scenery. Ted, plan on having different chores each season. In the fall, rake the leaves and put them into special leaf bags. In the winter, cover the tender plants to protect them from the cold. Fertilize your soil and plant your annual flowers in the spring. When summer at last arrives, remember to water your plants!

Subjects in Question In questions, the subject usually follows the verb To find the verb, mentally rephrase the question into a statement. Are the sunflowers very tall? The sunflowers are very tall Have you collected the seeds? You have collected the seeds. Is dinner ready? Dinner is ready.

Sentences beginning with “here” and “there” Some inverted sentences begin with here or there. The subject of a sentence is never here or there. In sentences with here or there, the subject is after the verb. Rephrase into a statement again. Here are photographs of the palm trees. Photographs of the palm trees are here. There goes the tree specialist to fertilize the tree. The tree specialist goes there to fertilize the tree. There are many types of trees. Many types of trees there are. There they are. Note: Don’t need to rearrange this sentence!!

Other inverted sentences Sometimes, the subject is placed after the verb to give it greater emphasis. This creates a type of suspense. High on the cliff overlooking the rugged landscape was an eagle. An eagle was high on the cliff overlooking the rugged landscape Bright is her smile, but heavy is her heart. Her smile is bright, but her heart is heavy Soon after the sound of the drums came the marchers.