Download Grammar for Grown-ups

Writing Simple Sentences
Identifying Subjects,
Verbs and
Prepositional Phrases
Finding the Subject(s)

The subject is the topic of the
sentence, who or what is taking some
action or being talked about.

Class starts early in the morning.

I am glad to be at school.
Subjects can be nouns or
pronouns.

A noun is a word that names a person,
place or thing:


Abdullah, Lincoln University, classrooms…
A pronoun is a word that stands for a
noun:

he, it,
they …
Subjects, like nouns, can be
singular or plural.

This class is fun.
singular

My classes are fun.
plural

My teachers and my assignments are
fun.
Plural
(compound)
Finding Prepositional Phrase(s)
A prepositional phrase is a group of
words that begins with a preposition
(on, in, over, under, against, with,
among…) and ends with a noun or
pronoun.
It gives extra information about another
word in the sentence.
The student in the front row is smart.
To remember about prepositional
phrases: Rule 1
A prepositional phrase doesn’t make
sense by itself, so it can’t be a
complete sentence.
1.

In the front row.

The student in the front row is smart.
fragment
sentence
To remember about prepositional
phrases: Rule 2
The subject of a sentence will never
be found inside a prepositional phrase.
2.

Each student in this room is intelligent.
prepositional phrases
subjects

All students in this room are intelligent.
Finding the Verb(s)


All sentences have at least one verb.
The verb explains what the subject is
doing (action verb) or connects the
subject to words that describe it (linking
verb).

That student works hard.
Action verb

That student is industrious.
Linking verb
Many verbs are made up of
more than one word.

I love grammar.
main verb




Everyone should love grammar.
Soon you will be loving grammar too.
We are loving it already.
I have loved grammar all my life.
Helping verbs
Word of caution: At times, verb
forms (usually ending in –ing) can be
the subject of a sentence.

I am going to the mall.
Verb

Going to the mall is my favorite
pastime.
Subject!
Verb
The End!
That’s all you need to control
the basic elements of
your sentences.