1.4 Identifying the Subject of a Sentence

1.4 Lesson: Identifying the Subject of a Sentence

Identifying the Subject

• In most sentences the subject comes before the predicate.n

• Example: Washington Irving described New York in his stories.

• The subject in this sentence would be: Washington Irving

• The predicate in this sentence would be: described New York in his stories.

Identifying the Subject

• Other kinds of sentences, such as questions, begin with part or all of the predicate.

• The subject comes next, followed by the rest of the predicate.

Example:

• Are people still reading his stories?

• Are people still reading his stories?

• Predicate

• Subject

Identifying the Subject

• To locate the subject of a question, rearrange the words to form a statement.

• Example: Did Irving write many funny stories?

• Statement: Irving did write many funny stories.

• So the subject is.... Irving.

Identifying the Subject

• The predicate also comes before the subject in sentences with inverted word order and in declarative sentences that begin with Here is, Here are, There is, and There are.

• Example: Over the paper raced Irving's pen.

• Subject: Irving's pen

• Predicate: Over the paper raced.

Identifying the Subject

• Example: There is Irving's original manuscript.

• Subject: Irving's original manuscript.

• Predicate: There is

Identifying the Subject

• In imperative sentences (requests and commands), the subject is usually not stated.

• The predicate is the entire sentence.

• The word you is understood to be the subject.

Example:

• Look for the author's name on the cover.

• Subject: Understood (You)

• Predicate: Look for the author's name on the cover.

Write what the complete subject of the following sentences are. If the subject is understood write You.

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Some animals hardly ever see the daylight.

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They live in nests in underground tunnels.

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There is the small mole, for example.

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Into a tunnel scampers the hard-working mole.

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Do insects really make up part of the mole's diet?

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How energetic the mole is!

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Find more information about moles in the library.

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Their eyes are extremely tiny.

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They can only distinguish light from dark.

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Has anyone seen a nature video about moles?