Download Parts of a Sentence

Parts of a Sentence
The Subject
 the subject is the thing the sentence is
about.
 the subject either performs an action
The dog ran.
 or, the subject is described.
The dog was sad.
Parts of a Sentence
The Predicate
 The predicate is always a verb
 It either tells what the subject is doing,
The construction crew stopped for coffee.
 or links the subject to a word that
describes the subject
The car was black.
Family Tree of Verbs
The Predicate Verbs:
-----Linking Verb (links subject to a subject complement)
-----Action Verb:
----Intransitive
----Transitive (links subject to a direct object)
----- Helping Verbs (These verbs help LINKING and ACTION
verbs express the exact meaning you intend.
Ex. He was wearing the wrong costume. He had been wearing the wrong costume.
Family Tree of Verbs

Other verbs within a sentence

The Infinitive: the grandparent of the verb
“to run” – run, runs, running, ran, did run etc.

Gerund: verbs acting as nouns
ex. Running is good for you.

Participles: verbs acting as adjectives
ex. The running man tripped on a log.
Parts of a Sentence
Linking Verbs
 These verbs link a SUBJECT to another
word which describes the subject.

The describing word is called a
SUBJECT COMPLEMENT.
Parts of a Sentence
Linking Verbs
- is, was, are, were, am
- be, become
Linking Verbs often pertain to the 5 senses
- look, seem, appear, smell, taste, sound,
feel
Parts of a Sentence
Action Verbs – Transitive
Transitive action verbs show an action the
SUBJECT is performing and identifies a
“thing” that is on the receiving end of the
action.
Molly rented a car.
“Car” receives the action of “rented”. “Car”
is called a DIRECT OBJECT.
Parts of a Sentence
Action Verbs - Intransitive
Intransitive verbs show an action that a
subject is performing.
The rain was falling harder.
A sentence with an intransitive verb could
end after the verb. In the case above,
“harder” is simply an ADVERB.
Parts of a Sentence
Memory Aid.
The root of transitive is “transit”.
Verbs that are transitive move from a
SUBJECT to a DIRECT OBJECT
Intransitive verbs don’t move.
Summary
If there is a direct object the verb is
transitive.
If there is no direct object the verb is
intransitive
Helping Verbs
They help change the verb tense


am
is
 are
 was
 were
 be
 being
 been
 have
 has
 had
 do
does
did
can
could
may
might
must
will
should
would
ought to
used to
Subjects in Unusual Order
-questions

In a question part of the predicate always
comes before the subject.
Do you have my money?
(Normal order: You do have my money.
Subjects in Unusual Order
-inverted sentences

The predicate can come before the
subject.
Inverted order:
Out with the bath water went the baby.
Normal order:
The baby went out with the bath water.
Subjects in Unusual Order
-“here” and “there”
“here” and “there” are never subjects.
 They are adverbs. A linking verb links them to
the subject.

Inverted sentence: Here is the answer.
Normal sentence: The answer is here.
Inverted: There goes the ice-cream truck
Normal: The ice-cream truck goes there.
Subjects in Unusual Order
-commands

In commands, the subject is always
“You” but it is never said; it is implied.
Pick up those shoes.
(Normal order: You pick up those shoes.)
Subjects difficult to spot
-adverbs and phrases

Occasionally, adverbs or prepositional phrases
are between the Subject and Predicate, or
between the verbs of the predicate.
We are not going to the zoo!
 “not” is an adverb
One of the criminals was from a different
province.
 “of the criminals” is a prepositional phrase
Parts of a Sentence
The Indirect Object
 The direct object receives the action of
the verb;
 the indirect object receives the direct
object.
I gave the money.
Indirect object
I gave the teller the money.
The Indirect Object’s Position

The indirect object always comes
between the predicate and the direct
object.