Download Subject and Predicate-Parts of a Sentence

Sentence
Esther Forbes
wrote books.
Subject
Predicate
 The subject part of a sentence names whom or
what the sentence is about.
 The predicate part of the sentence tells what the
subject does or has. It can also describe what the
subject is or is like.
A sentence must have both a subject and a predicate.
It must also express a complete thought.

Paul Revere warned the people.

Johnny Tremain worked for Paul Revere.

Esther Forbes wrote books about history.
A sentence consists of a subject and a predicate,
which together express a complete thought.
Both a subject and a predicate may consist of
more than one word.
Complete Subject
Complete Predicate
The main character
is Kit Tyler.
Kit
travels from the tropic to Connecticut.


The complete subject includes all of the words
in the subject of a sentence.
The complete predicate includes all of the
words in the predicate of a sentence.
Not all of the words in the subject or the
predicate are of equal importance.
Complete
Complete
Subject
Predicate
My sister
Simple
Subject
read a book.
Simple
Predicate
The simple subject is the main word or group of
words in the complete subject.
The simple subject is usually a noun or a pronoun. A
noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or
an idea. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of
one or more nouns.
 The simple predicate is the main word or group of
words in the complete predicate.
The simple predicate is always a verb. A verb is a word
that expresses an action or a state of being.
Sometimes the simple subject is also the complete
subject. Similarly the simple predicate may also be
the complete predicate.


Kit traveled far to meet her new family.

They were very different from Kit.

Kit’s new family worked very hard.
Most statements begin with the subject.
Subject
Daniel Defoe
Predicate
wrote Robinson Crusoe.
Other kinds of sentences, such as questions, may begin
with part or all of the predicate. The subject comes
next, followed by the rest of the predicate.
Predicate
Subject
Did
Defoe
Predicate
write the book?
To locate the subject of a question, rearrange
the words to form a statement.
Predicate
Have
Subject
Predicate
all of the students
finished reading the
book?
All of the students
have finished reading
the book.
Sometimes statements may have inverted word order.
In these sentences, the predicate comes before the
subject.
Predicate
Subject
Across the beach walked
Robinson.
In requests and commands, the subject is usually not
stated. The word you is understood to be the
subject.
Understood
Subject
Predicate
(You)
read a chapter tonight.

Did Robinson build a house?


Did the goats on the island provide fresh
milk?


Robinson built a house.
The goats on the island provide fresh milk.
Did Robinson plant corn on the island?

Robinson planted corn on the island.
Some sentences have more than one subject.
 A compound subject has two or more
subjects that have the same predicate. The
subjects are joined by and, or, or but.
Compound Subject
Many painters
and
sculptors
lead colorful lives.
Other sentences have more than one predicate.
 A compound predicate has two or more
verbs that have the same subject. The
verbs are joined by and, or, or but.
Compound Predicate
Juan
lived in Spain
and
studied painting.
Some sentences have both a compound subject
and a compound predicate.
Compound Subject
Juan
and
his family
Compound Predicate
were poor
but
worked hard.
When a sentence has three or more subjects
or three or more predicates, the word that
joins the compound parts usually comes
before only the last subject or predicate.
Notice the position of and in the sentence
below.
Velazquez, El Greco, and Picasso are three
famouns Spanish painters.



Many authors and artists have varied
interests.
Authors and Artists-compound subject
Juan left his hometown and looked for a job.
Left and Looked-compound predicate
Have you read this book or heard about it?
Read and Heard-compound predicate