COMPLETE SUBJECTS AND PREDICATES

Unit: The Sentence

Journal Entry #1

What was the most exciting thing you did this summer? Write four sentences that tell what you did and why it was exciting.

What is a complete subject?

A subject is a person, place or thing that is acting in a sentence.

Example: The furry brown dog chased the skittish squirrel down the street. (Who is doing the chasing, the dog or the squirrel?)

You are right if you guessed The furry brown dog.

So, look back at the last sentence: The furry brown dog chased the skittish squirrel down the street.

We already know what the subject is, so “chased the skittish squirrel down the street” is the predicate.

A complete subject also is the person, place or thing being spoken of.

She is a funny public speaker.

If you guessed she, you were right!!!

What is a complete predicate?

A complete predicate is the part of the sentence that contains the action.

It is everything in a sentence but the complete subject.

Notes on subjects and predicates:

Usually you will find the complete subject at the beginning of a sentence, but not always. In some sentences, a phrase may be chopped

off the end of a sentence and tacked on to the front, making finding the subject difficult. Here are 2 examples:

During the summer I swim. Over the stairs you will find the portrait.

Also, it is hard to find the subject and predicates in questions.

In a question, the predicate gets split in half and the subject is plunked down in the middle. Here are two examples: When did you arrive?

Where have you been hiding?

A trick!

The easiest way to make sure you find the right subject is to first find the verb in the sentence and ask yourself….who or what “verb”?

Let’s try it with our examples…

Finding difficult subjects

During the summer I swim.The verb is swim, so ask who swims? I do. Over the stairs you will find the portrait.

Will find is the verb, so ask who will find? You will. When did you arrive?

The verb is did arrive. Ask who did arrive? You did. Where have John and Sue been hiding?

The verb is have been hiding. Who has been hiding? John and Sue have.

In the following sentences, find the complete subject and complete predicate…

1. The old chair creaks under his weight.2. The whistling wind blew away my hat.3. How are you feeling today?4. His sore feet were soaking in the tub.5. After the play we went to dinner.

Answers: Complete Subjects are in red…

1. The old chair creaks under his weight.2. The whistling wind blew away my hat.3. How are you feeling today?4. His sore feet were soaking in the tub.5. After the play we went to dinner.