Download Chapter 15: The Parts of a Sentence

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Sentence: a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and
expresses a complete thought. Sentences contain a subject and a
predicate.
◦ Subject: names the person place, thing, or idea spoken about in the rest of
the sentence
◦ Predicate: says something about the subject
Americans | have made quilts.
Subject
Predicate
The people in the auditorium | applauded.
Subject
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Predicate
Fragment: any group of words that is punctuated as a sentence, but
does not have a subject or complete verb.
◦ Running in the hall. When we lost. Saw a bear. The girl.
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What are these missing?
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The simple subject is the main word or group of words
within the complete subject.
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The simple predicate, or verb, is the main word or
group of words within the complete predicate.
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Find the simple subject and simple predicate in the
following sentences:
◦ Her new car suffered damage in the storm.
◦ The first day of the class went very quickly.
◦ No one who did not type the homework will receive any credit.
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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects
that are joined by a conjunction and have the same verb
◦ Either Josh or Mac will win the race.
◦ Hector and Joe went to the creek to fish for bream.
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A compound verb consists of two or more verbs that are
joined by a conjunction and have the same subject.
◦ Michael Phelps entered and won eight events in the Beijing
Olympics.
◦ No one wanted or wished to have homework over the weekend.
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A compound sentence has two or more complete
sentences.
◦ We walked slowly down the path, and our minds wandered over
happy thoughts.
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Find the verb, and ask “Who?” or “What?”
The subject of a verb is never part of a
prepositional phrase.
◦ A few [of the deer] jumped the fence.
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Sentences that ask questions
◦ Are you ready to go to the mall?
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Turn the question into a statement
◦ You are ready to go to the mall.
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“There” is never the subject of a sentence.
◦ There are three cats in the window.
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Find the verb and ask “Who” or “What”
◦ Who/What are in the window?
◦ The subject of this sentence is cats
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Imperative sentences make a request or command.
◦ Go to the board.
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The subject of imperative sentences is you
understood.
◦ Hector, go to the field.
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A complement is a word or group of words that completes the meaning
of the predicate.
◦ A complement is never part of a prepositional phrase.
Objects are complements that do not refer back to the subject.
They are used with action verbs.
Direct object: a noun or pronoun that receives the action of the
verb or shows the result of the action. It answers the question
“Whom?” or “What?” after an action verb.
◦ The cat dropped the yarn.
S
V
DO
◦ In about one hour, we will finish the lesson
S
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V
DO
Direct objects, like simple subjects, are never part of a
prepositional phrase.
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Indirect object: a noun or pronoun that precedes (comes
before) the direct object and usually tells to whom or for
whom (or to what or for what) the action of the verb is
done.
◦ My little sister sang me a song.
S
V
I.D.O.
D.O.
◦ My sister sang what? song (direct object)
◦ My sister sang a song to whom? me (indirect object)
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Indirect objects, like simple subjects and direct objects,
are never part of prepositional phrases.
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Subject complement: a noun, pronoun, or adjective that follows a
linking verb. It describes or identifies the subject.
The two kinds of subject complements are predicate nominatives and
predicate adjectives.
A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun in the predicate that
explains or identifies the subject of a sentence.
◦ The prizewinners are Jennifer and Marcus.
◦ Be a winner!
◦ Is Darnell the treasurer?
A predicate adjective: an adjective in the predicate (following a
linking verb) that modifies the subject of a sentence.
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The corn tastes sweet and buttery.