Download Sentence Parts and Phrases Grammar 2

Lesson 2
Sentence Parts and
Phrases
Subject: Sentence Subjects. The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is
doing or being something. You can find the subject of a sentence if you can find the verb. Ask the
question, "Who or what 'verbs' or 'verbed'?" and the answer to that question is the subject. Example:
Mary ran around the block with her friends. Mary is the subject because you’re asking yourself who
ran around the block….Mary!
Verb: a word used to show an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate
of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen. It explains what the subject is doing. Example: Mary
ran around the block with her friends. Ran is the verb in the sentence because is shows action.
Direct object: A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb in a sentence. It
answers the questions what? or whom? about the verb. Example: Mary ran a mile with her friends
yesterday. Mary is the subject, ran is the action verb. You must ask yourself Mary ran what or who.
The answer is mile.
Indirect object: An indirect object is really a prepositional phrase in which the preposition to or for is
not stated but understood. It tells to whom or for whom something is done. The indirect
object always comes between the verb and the direct object. Example: Mary gave me a gift. Mary is
the subject, gave is the action verb, you ask yourself what did Mary give? Gift… (Direct object) In
order to find the indirect object, look between the action verb and the direct object and ask yourself to
whom or for whom the action is being done! Who did Mary give the gift to? ME!!!
Predicate Noun (Nominative): A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun which follows the verb
and describes or renames the subject. It is another way of naming the subject. It follows a linking
verb. Example: Mary is a teacher. Mary is the subject, is is the linking verb…ask yourself, Mary is
what? Teacher. Because it follows a LINKING verb, it’s the predicate noun.
Predicate Adjective: A more simple explanation of predicate adjectives is it modifies the subject of
the sentence. In the sentence “The flowers are blue,” the subject is “the flowers.” In this example,
“blue” is what modifies the subject, “the flowers,” and is connected to the subject by what is known as
a linking verb.
Object of the Preposition: A prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition,
a noun or pronoun object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object. A preposition sits in front
of (is “pre-positioned” before) its object. Mary went to the store. To the store is the preposition phrase
so store is the object of that prepositional phrase.
Object Complement: It follows a noun, pronoun, or an adjective which follows a direct object to
rename it or state what it has become. Examples: I found the guard sleeping. I is the subject, found is
the action verb, I found who or what? The guard (direct object) What describes the guard?
SLEEPING! EXAMPLE: We all consider her unworthy. EXAMPLE: I declare this center open.
EXAMPLE: We consider fish spoiled