1. Basic Sentence Patterns
Subjects and verbs
云浮市邓发纪念中学
李建平
Grammar and word choice are important for all your classes, not just English.

2. Identifying Subjects and Verbs
Key Concept: A complete sentence requires a subject and a verb; it also must express a complete thought.

3. A sentence must have a subject.
Subjects
A sentence must have a subject.
A subject is a noun
A person, place or thing
Ms. Jones
Beijing University
Book
Or a pronoun
A word that takes the place of a noun
She/he/they It

4. A sentence must also have a verb.
Verbs
A sentence must also have a verb.
There are 2 types of verbs:
Action
Show movement
Examples: to study, to sing, to joke, to run, to walk
Linking
Linking verbs do not show action. Instead, they convey existence, being, becoming, and sometimes, one of the 5 senses. Linking verbs connect the subject and the word after the linking verb.
Examples: to be, to seem, to become, to sound, to feel

5. Identifying Subjects and Verbs
To identify the subject and verb in a sentence, ask these questions:
What is the action? What word links two or more other words?
the verb
Who or what is performing the action?
the subject

6. Practice 1. Barbara sang. 2. The children were happy.
What is the action?
Sang (verb – action)
Who sang?
Barbara (subject)
2. The children were happy.
What word joins the description to the subject?
were (verb – linking)
Who were happy? children (subject)

7. More Practice Terry laughs. Lady Gaga is famous. Subject = Lady Gaga
Identify the subjects and verbs in the following sentences:
Terry laughs.
Subject = Terry
Verb = laughs (action)
Lady Gaga is famous.
Subject = Lady Gaga
Verb = is (links description to subject)
3. The dog barked.
Subject = the dog
Verb = barked (action)
4. Mike creates funny characters.
Subject = Mike
Verb = creates (action)

8. Simple and Compound Subjects and Verbs
A single subject is referred to as a simple subject.
A single verb is referred to as a simple verb.
Example:
The artist quickly drew the tourist’s picture.
What is the action? drew (one action = simple verb)
Who drew? artist (one actor = simple subject)
The sentences we have worked with up to this point have contained only one subject and one verb.

9. Compound Subjects
A sentence may also contain a compound subject: two or more stated nouns or pronouns perform the same action.
Example:
Charles and the boys have gone to the movies.
What is the action? have gone (one action = simple verb)
Who has gone? Charles + boys
(two stated actors = compound subject)

10. Compound Verbs
A sentence may also contain a compound verb: the subject performs two or more actions.
Example:
Jane frequently drinks, dances, and parties through the night.
What is (are) the action(s)? drink, dance, + party (3 actions = compound verb)
Who drinks, dances and parties? Jane (one stated actor = simple subject)

11. Thank you
Good-bye
December 2, 2015