Parts of Sentences:
There are two basic parts to every sentence: the subject and the predicate.
The simple subject is the noun or pronoun that identifies the person, place, or thing the sentence is about. The complete subject is the simple subject and all the words that describe it.
The predicate contains the verb that explains what the subject is doing. The simple predicate contains only the verb; the complete predicate contains the verb and any complements and modifiers.
In the following examples the subject is indicated by the bold part and the italicized part of the sentence is predicate.
EXAMPLES:
1)The motorcycle veered away from the boulder.
2)The new computer used the MS/DOS operating system.
3)One of Hawthorne's direct blood relatives was the famous "hanging judge" of the Salem witchcraft trials.
4)Farmingdale, in the town of Oyster Bay, has recently begun a massive recycling project.
How to locate Subject in a sentence.
It is often difficult to locate subject in a given sentence. The sentences can be of various forms that include commands, directions, questions, inverted sentences etc. Following are the ways in which we can locate subject in these various sentences.
Commands or Directions
In commands or directions, the subject is often not stated, because it is understood to be you. And hence it becomes difficult to locate.
EXAMPLES:
1)Subject (you)
Predicate
Please unload the dishwasher and vacuum the basement.
2)Subject (you)
Predicate
Just tell me what happened that evening.
Questions
In questions, too, subjects can be difficult to locate because they often follow the verb rather than come before it. Rewriting the question as a statement will make it easier to find the subject.
In the rewritten statements of the questions of the following examples, the subject is highlighted.
EXAMPLES:
1) Question
Are you planning to go to Oregon this weekend or next?
Rewritten as a Statement
Youare planning to go to Oregon this weekend or next.
2) Question
When do you think the report will be ready for distribution?
Rewritten as a Statement
The report will be ready for distribution tomorrow, I assume.
Sentences Beginning with "There" or "Here"
Sentences that begin with "there" or "here" do not usually open with a subject. Rephrase the sentence if you cannot locate the subject.
In the following examples, the subject is in bold in the rewritten sentences.
EXAMPLES:
1)Given sentence:
There is your wallet on the table.
Rewritten sentence
Your wallet is there on the table.
2)Given sentence:
Here is the sherbet from the dairy.
Rewritten sentence
The sherbet from the dairy is here.
Inverted Sentences
Inverted sentences place the subject after the verb.This will ensure that the subject will receive more emphasis.However,there is an exception when the verb is intransitive.
Look at the following examples,where in the subject is highlighted, to get better idea.
EXAMPLES:
1) High on the mountain overlooking the ocean was the diver.
2) Here comes my sister.
3) Down the slope rolled the ball.
Sample Usage
As above.
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