Lesson 10: Subject and Predicate
Introduction
After learning what a sentence is, the next important step in understanding sentence structure is learning about its parts. Every complete sentence has two main parts that work together to express a clear and complete thought. These two parts are called the subject and the predicate.
- Write clear and complete sentences
- Avoid sentence fragments
- Improve reading comprehension
- Identify errors in writing
- Build stronger grammar skills for advanced writing
In this lesson, we will study what the subject is, what the predicate is, how to identify them in sentences, and why both are necessary. This lesson focuses on simple, clear sentences to make the concept easy to understand.
What Are the Parts of a Sentence?
A sentence is not just a group of words. It has an internal structure. That structure is built around two main parts:
1. Subject
Who or what the sentence is about
2. Predicate
What the subject does or is
Every complete sentence must have both parts. If one part is missing, the sentence becomes incomplete or unclear.
What Is the Subject?
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about. It answers the question:
• The boy runs fast.
→ Who runs fast? The boy (subject)
• The cat sleeps.
→ What sleeps? The cat (subject)
• She is happy.
→ Who is happy? She (subject)
✓ Usually a noun (name of a person, place, or thing)
✓ Can be a pronoun (he, she, it, they, etc.)
✓ Answers "Who?" or "What?" about the sentence
Simple Subjects
A simple subject is the main word or words that tell us who or what the sentence is about.
• Dogs bark. → Dogs
• The teacher explains. → teacher
• My best friend called me. → friend
Even when the subject has extra words describing it, the main noun is the simple subject.
• The small brown dog barked loudly.
Complete subject: The small brown dog
Simple subject: dog
What Is the Predicate?
The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells us what the subject does or what the subject is. It answers questions like:
- What is happening?
- What is the subject doing?
- What is the subject like?
• The boy runs fast.
• She is happy.
• The birds are flying in the sky.
Everything in the sentence that is not part of the subject belongs to the predicate.
Simple Predicate
The simple predicate is the main verb or verb phrase in the sentence.
• Dogs bark.
• She is reading.
• They played football.
The verb is the most important word in the predicate because it shows:
✓ Action (run, jump, think)
✓ State of being (is, are, was, were)
Without a verb, there is no predicate, and therefore no complete sentence.
Complete Subject and Complete Predicate
A sentence can be divided into:
Complete Subject
Includes the subject and all words that describe it
Complete Predicate
Includes the verb and all words that describe the action or state
Complete Subject
The tall boy with glasses
Complete Predicate
is running very fast
Understanding this distinction helps students identify sentence structure more accurately.
Subjects Can Be Single Words or Phrases
Subjects are not always one word. Sometimes, a group of words works together as the subject.
• My little sister is sleeping.
• The red car in the driveway belongs to us.
In these examples, the subject includes descriptive words, but the sentence is still about one main idea.
Predicates Can Be Long or Short
Predicates can be very short:
• He runs.
• She sleeps.
Or longer:
• He runs every morning before school.
• She sleeps peacefully in her room.
As long as the predicate tells us something about the subject, it is complete.
Finding the Subject and Predicate
To find the subject, ask:
To find the predicate, ask:
Finding the Subject
Who is the sentence about? → The children
Finding the Predicate
What are they doing? → are playing in the park
Subjects in Questions
In questions, the subject may not appear at the beginning of the sentence.
• Are you coming today?
Subject: you
Predicate: are coming today
Even when word order changes, the subject and predicate still exist.
Subjects in Commands
In commands (imperative sentences), the subject is often hidden.
• Close the door.
The subject is you, but it is not written.
Predicate: close the door
This is called an understood subject.
Why Subject and Predicate Are Important
Understanding subject and predicate helps learners:
- Avoid sentence fragments
- Write complete sentences
- Improve grammar accuracy
- Understand sentence meaning
- Build complex sentences later
Without a subject or predicate, communication becomes unclear.
Common Errors with Subject and Predicate
- Missing subjects
- Missing verbs
- Confusing subjects with objects
- Writing fragments instead of sentences
Running in the park. (missing subject)
Corrected:
The children are running in the park.
Sentence Fragments and Missing Parts
Many sentence fragments occur because either the subject or predicate is missing.
• After school. (missing predicate)
• Playing football. (missing subject)
Adding the Missing Part Fixes the Sentence:
- After school. → After school, we went home.
- Playing football. → They are playing football.
Practice and Mastery
Learning subject and predicate takes practice. The more learners identify them in sentences, the easier it becomes. This skill is essential for all future grammar topics, including sentence types, tenses, and sentence combining.
Conclusion
Every sentence has two main parts: the subject, which tells us who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate, which tells us what the subject does or is. Both parts are necessary to form a complete thought.
Mastering subject and predicate helps learners write correct sentences, understand what they read, and communicate ideas clearly and confidently.