Finding the Subject & the Predicate in a simple sentence

EN3 - Sentence Structure Learning Objectives:
  • Identifying the simple & complete subject in a sentence,
  • Identifying the simple & complete predicate in a sentence,
  • Constructing proper simple sentences. 

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Slide 1: Tekstslide
EnglishVocational Education

In deze les zitten 28 slides, met interactieve quizzen en tekstslides.

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EN3 - Sentence Structure Learning Objectives:
  • Identifying the simple & complete subject in a sentence,
  • Identifying the simple & complete predicate in a sentence,
  • Constructing proper simple sentences. 

Slide 1 - Tekstslide

The sentence
The sentence is the building block of all writing.
Paragraphs, memos, letters, reports, essays and books are constructed from sentences.

But how are they created?

Slide 2 - Tekstslide

What are the properties needed to construct a sentence?
A properly constructed sentence must have 
  • a subject, 
  • a verb, 
  • and sufficient meaning.

Slide 3 - Tekstslide

What is a simple sentence?
A simple sentence has one subject and one verb.
It contains one independent clause.


**NOTE: more complicated sentences can have more than one subject and one verb and more than one clause.

Slide 4 - Tekstslide

The Subject 
  • The subject of a sentence is usually a NOUN (John, car, politics, etc.) or a PRONOUN (I, she, they, etc.).
  • It is usually located  near the beginning of a sentence.

Nouns name persons, places and things. Nouns can be:
  • Common (general persons, places and things; city, boy, car).
  • Proper (particular persons, places and things; Los Angeles, Peter, Dr Jones).

Slide 5 - Tekstslide

Examples of Subject Nouns
Proper Noun/Person: Fred drove to the store.
Common Noun/ Person: The manager counted the day's receipts.

Proper Noun/ Place: New York is a city with many sky scrapers.
Common Noun/Place: The north coast is rugged terrain .

Proper Noun/Thing: The Betico Croes Statue was circled by people.
Common Noun/Thing: The large table was dirty.

Slide 6 - Tekstslide

Examples of Subject Pronouns
I am a mechanic.
You should go to the job fair next week.
It is a large, white, furry, carnivorous bear living near the North Pole.
They should invest in funds for their child's future education.

Slide 7 - Tekstslide

Identifying the Subject
The subject identifies who or what is doing something or being something.
Example:
  1. Teachers educate students. -> Teachers = Subject Noun doing an activity -> educating students.
  2. Teachers are educators. -> Teachers = Subject Noun being something (state of existence)

Slide 8 - Tekstslide

Identifying the Subject
To find the subject of a sentence, first find the verb. Then ask, "Who?" or "What?"
The answer will be the subject.


Slide 9 - Tekstslide

Read the following sentence, find the verb and then ask "Who?" or "What?". What is the subject?

The invoice was paid on February 10.

Slide 10 - Open vraag

Read the following sentence, find the verb and then ask "Who?" or "What?". What is the subject?

Several cracks appeared in the ceiling after the earthquake.

Slide 11 - Open vraag

Simple or Complete Subjects?
Do not be confused if a sentence has several nouns or pronouns in it. Only the word that answers 
"Who?" or "What?" before the verb can be the subject.

Ex: The secretary blamed herself, not the manager, the supervisor, or the other employees, for the mistake.

Who blamed? -> secretary

Slide 12 - Tekstslide

Simple or Complete Subjects?
The main noun or pronoun without any of its modifiers that answers the question "Who?" or "What?" before the verb is the SIMPLE SUBJECT.

The simple subject and its modifiers is the COMPLETE SUBJECT.

Modifiers= the words and phrases that describe it.

Slide 13 - Tekstslide

Simple or Complete Subjects?
Read the following sentence:
A tall, gracious, smiling waiter seated us at our table.

  • What is the simple subject?
  • waiter
  • What is the complete subject?
  • A tall, gracious, smiling waiter

Slide 14 - Tekstslide

Simple or Complete Subjects?
Read the following sentence:
The tired, elderly man trudged down the street.

  • What is the simple subject?
  • man
  • What is the complete subject?
  • The tired, elderly man 

Slide 15 - Tekstslide

Simple or Complete Subjects?
Read the following sentence:
Our favorite movie from our childhood was playing on TV.

  • What is the simple subject?
  • movie
  • What is the complete subject?
  • Our favorite movie from our childhood

Slide 16 - Tekstslide

What is the simple subject?

The little dog barked at the mailman.

Slide 17 - Open vraag

What is the complete subject?

The cute baby cried in her crib.

Slide 18 - Open vraag

Compound Subjects
Compound subjects can also be used in simple sentences.
What is a compound sentence?

  1. A compound sentence consists of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, or, either/or, (or) neither/nor.
  2. Compound subjects can be separated by other words, but they are still considered one subject as long as they are doing the same action or being the same thing.

Slide 19 - Tekstslide

Compound Subjects
Bill and Raul drove to the cinemas.
Either you or I will have to pick Melanie up at the bus station.
Charles the dentist, Clyde the doctor, and Philip the chiropractor went to a meeting.
Large, Rottweilers; fast Russian greyhounds; and small aggressive Chihuahuas are popular pets around the world.

Slide 20 - Tekstslide

What is the compound subject?

The child's ears and nose looked just like its mother's.

Slide 21 - Open vraag

What is the compound subject?

Jupiter, Mars, and Venus are planets in our solar system.

Slide 22 - Open vraag

The Predicate
The predicate is the part of a sentence (or clause) that tells us what the subject does or is. Predicates provide information about the subject, such as what the subject is doing or what the subject is like. It must contain a verb but may also contain other sentence elements.

Example:
The cat is sleeping in the sun. ->the clause 'is sleeping in the sun'= predicate







Slide 23 - Tekstslide

Simple or Complete Predicate?
The simple predicate, or verb, is the main word or word group that tells something about the subject.

 The complete predicate consists of the simple predicate, or verb and all the words that describe the verb and complete its meaning.

Slide 24 - Tekstslide

Simple or Complete Predicate?
Example:
The party for my grandparents’ fiftieth anniversary ended with a grand display of fireworks.

COMPLETE PREDICATE: ended with a grand display of fireworks
SIMPLE PREDICATE:  ended

Slide 25 - Tekstslide

What is the simple predicate?

The guitarist put new strings on her guitar.

Slide 26 - Open vraag

What is the complete predicate?

The musician played a twelve-string guitar.

Slide 27 - Open vraag

Now it's your turn!

Underline the complete predicate and circle the simple predicate.

  1.  The new strings sounded much better.
  2. She tuned her guitar several times.
  3. The guitarist played the first string with the help of a pitch pipe.
  4. She then tuned all the strings to the first string.
  5. Well-tuned strings are important to the musician.
  6. The guitarist has a good ear for pitch.

Slide 28 - Tekstslide