Download Subjects and Predicates

Subjects and Predicates
If grammar lessons were holidays,
today would be Christmas!
Complete Subjects and Predicates
• A sentence is a group of words with two
main parts: a complete subject and a
complete predicate. Together, these parts
express a complete thought.
Complete Subjects and Predicates
• The example sentences below show the two main parts
of three complete sentences. In each sentence, the
complete subject is in black boldface and includes a
noun or pronoun that names the person, place, or thing
that the sentence is about. Each complete predicate is
italicized and includes a verb that tells something about
the complete subject.
1. Several pilots from various countries have
vanished in or near the Bermuda Triangle.
2. The Bermuda Triangle, the area in question,
lies between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico.
3. The U.S.S. Cyclops disappeared there in 1918.
Complete Subjects and Predicates
• Take Note: The complete subject or
complete predicate can consist of several
words or just one word.
Examples:
1. He read about many different
careers.
2. The nurse in the white uniform
arrived.
Give it a shot!
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
In each of the following sentences, underline
the complete subject and circle the complete
predicate:
Nurses teach preventive care and
rehabilitation.
Most nurses work in hospitals.
Other nurses provide their services in health
agencies, nursing homes, offices, schools, and
industries.
Nurses can be educators, administrators, or
supervisors.
Most nursing was done at home in the
nineteenth century.
Simple Subjects and Predicates
• The simple subject is the essential noun,
pronoun, or group of words acting as a
noun that cannot be left out of the
complete subject. The simple predicate is
the essential verb phrase that cannot be
left out of the complete predicate.
Simple Subjects and Predicates
• In the following examples, notice that all
the other words in the complete subject
add details to the simple subject.
Similarly, all of the other words in the
complete predicate either modify the
simple predicate or help it complete the
meaning of the sentence:
1. Two of his friends studied law
enforcement.
2. Sick in bed, she had missed her job
interview.
Give it a shot!
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
In the following sentences, draw a vertical line
between the complete subject and complete
predicate. Next, underline the simple subject
and circle the simple predicate.
The police are government agents.
They protect citizens from unlawful acts.
The U.S. police establishment operates at
several levels.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is
the largest and most important department.
Two other federal departments are the Secret
Service and the Customs Service.