Subjects, Predicates, & More

Parts of Sentences

A group of words that contains a subject and itspredicate and makes a complete thought.

Donny watched.is a sentence.

If Donny watchedis not a sentence.

“If Donny watched,” then what?

Sentence

SubjectPredicat

e

D.O

I.O

Subj.Comp.

Action Verb

Linking Verb

I gave him the ring.

I was finally relieved.

SubjectPredicat

e

D.O

I.O

Subj.Comp.

Action Verb

Linking Verb

Hit, Do,

Think,

Act, M

ake…

To Be, Become,

Feel, Seem,

Appear…

I gave

was

the ring

him

relieved

I gave him the ring.

I was finally relieved.

I gave the ring to him.

D.OI.O

D.O Object of the preposition

Every sentence has two basic parts.

SUBJECT PREDICATE

Huge cresting waves pounded the sailboat.

The subject tells whom or what the sentence is about.

The predicate tells what the subject is or does or what happens to the subject.

Basic Parts of A Sentence

To figure out what the subject is, ask the

question, “don’t they?” or “can’t they?” to the

end of a sentence. Whatever “they” or “it” refers to is the subject

of the sentence.

The basic elements of a sentence are the simple subject and the simple predicate. The simple predicate is a VERB!!

The simple subject is the key word or words in the subject.

The simple predicate is the verb or verb phrase that tells something about the subject.

Basic Parts of A Sentence

The simple subject and the simple predicate do NOT include any describing words like adjectives and adverbs.

The violent storm battered the sailboat.

Basic Parts of A Sentence

Simple subject. Ask who or what does something.(noun or pronoun)

The violent STORM

Simple predicate.Ask what the subject is or does or what happens to it. (verb)

BATTERED the sailboat.

If you cannot find the simple subject and simplepredicate in a sentence, you have created aSENTENCE FRAGMENT which is an incomplete

thought. For example,

Blew a boat with five fishermen out into the Pacific Ocean.Missing?Subject

Sharks around the boat all the time.Missing?Predicate

Why does it matter?

Try this….Identify the simple subject and simple predicate in the following sentences.1. Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida in August

1992.

2. This ferocious storm destroyed several communities.

3. The high winds also tore a county zoo apart.

4. Many animals, afraid of the wind, cowered in their cages.

5. Many Florida residents will remember this storm for the rest of their lives.

Try this….Identify the simple subject and simple predicate in the following sentences.1. Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida in August

1992.

2. This ferocious storm destroyed several communities.

3. The high winds also tore a county zoo apart.

4. Many animals, afraid of the wind, cowered in their cages.

5. Many Florida residents will remember this storm for the rest of their lives.

Collected rainwater in canvas bags and old metal containers.Needs SUBJECT

Costa Rica a parade and celebration for the men’s homecoming.Needs PREDICATE

Finally, a Japanese ship rescued the weary crew.Nothing Wrong

What's wrong with these?

The complete subject includes simple subject and all the words that describe it.

The complete predicate includes the verb and all the words that describe it.

Disaster movies fascinate nearly everyone.

Complete Subject: Disaster moviesComplete Predicate: fascinate nearly everyone.

Complete Subjects and Predicates

NOTICE! Every word in the sentence is part of the

complete subject or the complete predicate.

Underline the compound subject or compound predicates in the following sentences. Circle the simple subjects and verbs.

• Children and adults can survive frigid weather for a long time.

• Cold water signals the brain and triggers a ‘diving reflex.’

• The brain slows and needs only half the normal level of oxygen.

• Electrical activity and chemical actions in the brain keep the body alive.

• The heart and brain can survive for 40 or 50 minutes in this state.

Try These….

A sentence can have more than one subject or verb.

A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects that SHARE a verb.

Ciera and Alex share the same desk.

Compound Subjects and Verbs

COMPOUND SUBJECT VERB

A sentence can have more than one subject or verb.

A compound verb is made up of two or more verbs or verb phrases that are joined by a conjunction and have the SAME SUBJECT.

The exhausted diver ached and moaned.

Compound Subjects and Verbs

COMPOUND VERB

Underline the compound subject or compound predicates in the following sentences. Circle the simple subjects and verbs.

• Children and adults can survive frigid weather for a long time.

• Cold water signals the brain and triggers a ‘diving reflex.’

• The brain slows and needs only half the normal level of oxygen.

• Electrical activity and chemical actions in the brain keep the body alive.

• The heart and brain can survive for 40 or 50 minutes in this state.

Try These….

If the verb is an ACTION…

SubjectPredicat

e

D.O

Action Verb

Then look for a direct object!

A noun or pronoun that tells

WHO or WHAT RECEIVES

the action of the verb.

Direct Objects

Nothing can escape a black hole.

Direct Object

John gave me the book. DO?

John gave me the book. (The book RECEIVES the action of being given.)

The ball was thrown.

For Example…

If you find a D.O, then look for an INDIRECT OBJECT!…

SubjectPredicat

e

D.O

Action Verb

There won’t be an I.O. if

there is no D.O.

I.O

Nouns or pronouns that tell

TO WHOM or FOR WHAT

the action of the verb is done.

Indirect Objects

The Hubble telescope showed scientists an enormous black hole.

Indirect Object

John gave me the book.IO?John gave me the book.

The ball was thrown to him.

For Example,

If the verb is LINKING, look for a subject complement!

SubjectPredicat

e

Subj.Comp.

Linking Verb

Follow

linking verbs and

identify or describe the subject.(feel, seem, consider, smell, sound, taste)

Subject Complements

PRED. NOMINATIVE

A NOUN used as a subject complement

PRED. ADJECTIVE

An ADJECTIVE used as a subject complement.

Subject Complements Cont'd

PRED. NOMINATIVE

A NOUN used as a subject complement

The Amazon is a very wide river.

PRED. ADJECTIVE

An ADJECTIVE used as a subject complement.

In places, neither bank is visible from the middle of the river.

1. The American West offers residents and tourists an abundance of beautiful rock formations.

2. For example, Bryce Canyon in Utah is popular among sightseers and photographers.

3. Visitors find its multicolored formations unspeakably gorgeous.

4. The huge sandstone arches also show humans the power of erosion.

5. The federal government made Bryce Canyon a national park in 1928.

Try these…

A sentence can be used to make a statement, ask a question, give a command, or show strong feelings.

There are four kinds of sentences:DeclarativeInterrogativeImperativeExclamatory

Kinds of Sentences

We’ve never swum out this far.

This kind of sentence expresses a fact, wish, intent, or feeling. It always ends with a period.

Write your own. 1.2.3.

Declarative Sentence

Is that a shark following us?

This kind of sentence asks a question and always ends in a question mark.

Write your own.1.2.3.

Interrogative Sentence

Hide until it leaves. Now swim for shore!

This kind of sentence expresses a command, request, or direction. (It usually ends with a period. If the command is strong, it may end with an exclamation point. )

Write your own. 1.2.

Imperative Sentence

Leave me alone.Do your work.

Listen.

We almost didn’t make it!

This kind of sentence expresses strong feelings. It always ends in an exclamation point.

Write your own.1. 2.3.

Exclamatory Sentence

Look at the following cartoon….Write a dialogue for it using All four different types of sentences.

Be creative!

Your Turn

Usually, subjects come before verbs. However, on some occasions subjects appear in unusual positions—after verbs or inside verb phrases.

In an inverted sentence, the subject comes after the verb or part of the verb phrase.

Usual Order: The savage storm came down on the Spanish galleon.

Inverted Order: Down came the savage storm on the Spanish galleon.

Subjects in Unusual Positions

Usual Order: The sea swept across the deck of the hopeless

ship.

Inverted Order:

Across the deck of the hopeless ship swept the sea.

Subjects in Unusual Positions

Sentences Beginning with Here or There.

Though “here” or “there” may begin a sentence, these words are rarely the subjects.

In fact, the subject of a sentence that begins with one of these words usually follows the verb.

Ex: Here is the massive anchor of the galleon.There lies the great ship, far beneath the ocean.

Subjects in Unusual Positions

Agreement between subject and verb can be tricky.

Identify the subject before deciding on the verb form.

Here is the massive anchor of the galleon.Anchor is

Here are the massive anchors of the galleon.Anchors are

Sentences Beginning with Here or There

In a question, the subject usually comes after the verb or inside the verb phrase.

Subject After VerbEX: Was the cargo of the galleon valuable?

Subject inside Verb PhraseEX: Did the great ship survive the storm?

Questions

In an imperative sentence, the subject is usually “you.”

Request: (You) Please read the ancient scroll.

Command: (You) Beware of the wild sea.

Imperative Sentences

A complement (not compliment)…is a word or word group that follows the verb and complete its meaning.

There are 4 types of complements:1. Direct objects2. Objective complements3. Indirect objects4. Subject complements

Complements….(Oh, why thank you! )

A noun or adjective that follows the direct object and identifies or describes it.

ONLY CERTAIN VERBS & THEIR SYNONYMS CAN BE FOLLOWED BY OBJECTIVE COMPLEMENTS.

appoint, choose, consider, elect, keep, make, name, call,

find, make, think.

Objective Complements

Over 1,500 species of fish call the Great Barrier Reef home.

Over 1,500 species of fish call the Great Barrier Reef home. (home=objective complement)

Its colorful formations make the reef unique.

Its colorful formations make the reef unique.

For Example,