Subjects!

Subjects? You mean like science, English, and math? NO you goofballs! A subject is who or what a sentence is about. A subject is almost always a noun or pronoun. This is a sentence job and not a part of speech!

How to Identify the Subject 1) Find the main verb or verb phrase in the sentence. 2) Ask yourself “Who or what performed the verb?” That will point you to the subject!

Examples of Subjects The book is much better than the movie. 1) Find the verb. The book is much better than the movie. 2) Who or what is much better than the movie? The book is much better than the movie. Everyone enjoys a relaxing day at the beach. 1) Find the verb. Everyone enjoys a relaxing day at the beach. 2) Who or what enjoys a relaxing day at the beach? Everyone enjoys a relaxing day at the beach. The hot sand burned my feet. 1) Find the verb. The hot sand burned my feet. 2) Who or what burned my feet? The hot sand burned my feet.

Difficult to Identify Subjects Sentences beginning with “here” or “there” –Subject usually FOLLOWS the verb, so to help, reverse the sentence so it ENDS in “here/there” instead of begins with it! Ex: Here is the massive anchor of the galleon. This is really saying… The massive anchor of the galleon is here. So where’s the verb? The massive anchor of the galleon is here. What “is here”? The massive anchor of the galleon is here. So…Here is the massive anchor of the galleon.

“Here” or “There” Examples Here is an important lesson about the power of nature. 1) (Flip it) Find the verb. An important lesson about the power of nature is here. 2) Who or what is here? An important lesson about the power of nature is here. There were twenty students. 1) (Flip it) Find the verb. Twenty students were there. 2) Who or what were there? Twenty students were there.

Questions When we create questions in English, we tend to jumble the words up, which makes breaking them down grammatically difficult. To fix this, rewrite questions as statements using the same words. (Note: They may sound a bit awkward) Ex: Was the cargo of the galleon valuable? Make it a statement: The cargo of the galleon was valuable. Now find the verb: The cargo of the galleon was valuable. Who/What “was valuable?” The cargo of the galleon was valuable. So…if we put it back into a question, it would be… Was the cargo of the galleon valuable?

Question Example Would the sailors survive this powerful storm? 1) Restructure to a statement. The sailors would survive this powerful storm. 2) Find the verb. The sailors would survive this powerful storm. 3) Who or what would survive? The sailors would survive this powerful storm.

Commands/Imperative Sentences The implied subject is usually “you.” However, since you are speaking directly to the person/people whom you are commanding, it’s often implied (not directly stated). Ex: Please read for homework. Find the verb: Please read for homework. Who should “read”? (You) please read for homework.

Command Examples Never doubt the men’s skill and bravery. 1) Find the verb. Never doubt the men’s skill and bravery. 2) Who or what should never doubt the men’s skill? (You) Never doubt the men’s skill and bravery. 1) Find the verb. Be quiet! 2) Who or what should be quiet? (You) Be quiet!

What’s a predicate? The verb (and occasionally everything after it) Tells what the subject does, or what happens to the subject “Mr. Morton is the subject of the sentence, and what the predicate says he does.”

Examples of Predicates The sailors would survive this powerful storm. 1) What is the subject? The sailors would survive this powerful storm. 2) What is the subject doing? The sailors would survive this powerful storm. (This is the predicate!) The cargo of the galleon was valuable. 1)What is the subject? The cargo of the galleon was valuable. 2) What is the subject doing?/What verb is it taking? The cargo of the galleon was valuable.

So why does this even MATTER? Once again, writing, writing, writing, my little minions. In order to write a complete sentence, you MUST include both a subject and a predicate. Without both, you’re writing a fragment. With too many, you’re writing a run-on or comma splice. What were our guidelines about verbs again? –Less is more! –Use active verbs! Show, don’t tell!

The End! …or is it?