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Simple Sentences
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Chapter 15: Subjects, Verbs, and Prepositional Phrases
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A sentence is a group of words that expresses a
complete thought. Every sentence includes
both a subject and a verb:
David Beckham is a soccer player.
Simple Sentences
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Every sentence includes a subject.
The subject of a sentence tells who or what is
being talked about in the sentence.
Without a subject, a sentence is not complete.
Derek Walcott won the 1992 Nobel Prize in literature.
He was born in St. Lucia.
St. Lucia is an island in the Caribbean.
Subjects
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The subject of a sentence can be a noun or a
pronoun:
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A noun names a person, place, or thing
A pronoun takes the place of a noun (I, you, he, she, it,
we, they, etc.)
The subject of a sentence can be singular or
plural:
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A singular subject is one person, place, or thing
A plural subject is more than one person, place, or
thing.
Subjects
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Plural subject:
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Walcott’s poems have been collected in books.
A plural subject that joins two subjects with and
is called a compound subject:
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St. Lucia and Trinidad are Caribbean islands.
Plural Subjects
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A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition
(a word such as on, to, in, or with) and its object
(the noun or pronoun it introduces).
Preposition
+ Object
= Prepositional Phrase
on
the stage
on the stage
to
Nia’s house
to Nia’s house
in
my new car
in my new car
with
them
with them
Prepositional Phrases
About
Above
Across
After
Against
Along
Among
Around
As
At
Before
Behind
Below
Beneath
Beside
By
Despite
During
Except
For
From
In
Inside
Into
Like
Near
Of
Off
On
Onto
Out
Outside
Over
Through
Throughout
To
Toward
Underneath
Until
Up
Upon
With
Within
Without
Frequently Used Prepositions
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Because the object of a preposition is a noun or
pronoun, it may seem to be the subject of a
sentence. However, the object of a preposition
can never be the subject of a sentence.
To identify a sentence’s true subject, cross out
each prepositional phrase.
Remember: every prepositional phrase is
introduced by a preposition.
Prepositional Phrases
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To identify a sentence’s true subject, cross out
each prepositional phrase.
Remember: every prepositional phrase is
introduced by a preposition.
The cost of the repairs was astronomical.
At the end of the novel, after an exciting chase,
the lovers flee to Mexico.
Prepositional Phrases
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Verbs
Every sentence must also have a verb (also
known as a predicate).
Verbs tell what the subject does or connects the
subject to words that describe or rename it.
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An action verb tells what the subject does, did,
or will do:
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Norma Garciaparra plays baseball.
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Renee will drive to Tampa on Friday.
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Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic.
Action Verbs
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Action verbs can also show mental and
emotional actions:
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Travis always worries about his job.
Sometimes, the subject of a sentence performs
more than one action. These joined action verbs
are called compound predicates:
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He hit the ball, threw down his bat, and ran
toward first base.
Action Verbs
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A linking verb does not show action. Instead,
it connects the subject to a word or words that
describe or rename it.
The linking verb tells what the subject is (or
what it was, will be, or seems to be):
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The googolplex is an extremely large number.
Linking Verbs
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Many linking verbs, like is, are forms of be.
Other linking verbs refer to the senses (look,
feel, and so on):
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The photocopy looks blurry.
Some students feel anxious about the future.
Frequently Used Linking Verbs: act, appear, be (am,
is, are, was, were), become, feel, get, grown, look,
remain, seem, smell, sound, taste, turn
Linking Verbs
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Many verbs consist of more than one verb:
Minh must make a decision about his future.
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In this sentence, make is the main verb, and
must is the helping verb.
Helping Verbs
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Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs)
include forms of be, have, and do as well as the
words must, will, can, could, may, might, should,
and would.
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Some helping verbs, such as forms of be and have,
combine with main verbs to give information
about when the action occurs.
Forms of do combine with main verbs to form
questions and negative statements.
Some helping verbs indicate willingness (can),
possibility (may), necessity (should), obligation
(must), and so on.
Helping Verbs
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A sentence’s complete verb is made up of a
main verb plus any helping verbs that
accompany it:
Minh should have gone earlier.
Did Minh ask the right questions?
Minh will work hard.
Minh can really succeed.
Helping Verbs
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Participles such as going and gone, cannot
stand alone as main verbs in a sentence. They
need a helping verb to make them complete:
INCORRECT:
CORRECT:
INCORRECT:
CORRECT:
Minh going to the library.
Minh is going to the library.
Minh gone to the library.
Minh has gone to the library.
Helping Verbs with Participles
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In order to be complete, a sentence must have a
_________ and a ________. It must also _______
_________.
What question can you ask to determine the
subject of a sentence?
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A prepositional phrase consists of a __________
and its _________.
Review
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The three types of verbs we talked about today
are?
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T or F: A subject can be made up of more than
one word.
T or F: A subject can be made up of more than
one word.
Review