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Subject and Predicate
Subject and Predicate
Subject and Predicate
I-WHAT IS A SENTENCE?
A sentence is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete
thought.
Ex: The students are studying.
“The students” is the subject. “are studying” is the verb.
A subject is usually a noun or noun phrase. It does the action.
A verb tells the action of the subject.
Sometimes, a sentence may be more than just a subject and a verb. Direct objects, indirect
objects, prepositional phrases, and so on, may also be included. That’s why in modern English a
sentence is preferably divided into two parts: subject and predicate. Ex: The dog is sleeping under
the table.
subject predicate
simple subject
simple predicate
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Practice 1
Underline the complete subject once and complete predicate twice in each of the following sentences.
Practice 2
Read the paragraph below and underline the complete subject once and the complete predicate twice.
Morning came quickly. Long before sunrise, the alarm clock rang. Sluggishly, we dragged
ourselves from a restless sleep. At five o’clock we left the dock. We were sailing out of the bay on a
yacht equipped with every convenience. From bow to stem, the boat measured forty feet. During the
night, fog had crept in. It greatly limited visibility and made the air cold. Sophisticated directional
equipment led us through the fog. Inside the cabin, we were warm, dry, and eager to begin deepsea
fishing.
Practice 3
In each of the following sentences, underline the simple subject and simple predicate twice.
1. Many of the current television programs are airing sensitive, controversial issues.
2. People in stressful situations will often show symptoms of fatigue.
3. The pyramids in Egypt have attracted tourists for thousands of years.
4. The sunset cast a rosy glow on the walls of the building.
5. The old bridge appears both too narrow and too unsafe.
6. Rumors aggravated the already tense situation.
7. Errors in usage can undermine the effectiveness of written work.
8. Abbreviations are often used in referring to time, measurement, and numbers.
9. In many short stories and novels, the use of dialogue or direct conversation between two or
more people plays an important role.
10. The problem with an overly lengthy sentence may not be merely one of length.
11. Good listening takes practice, concentration, and energy.
12. You will need a good college dictionary and some other reference texts.
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13. An increasing number of complaints have recently been received.
14. A telltale smudge on the document aroused suspicion.
15. An important announcement interrupted the TV program.
Practice 3
Read the passage below and underline the simple subject once and simple predicate twice.
A tourist gets a spectacular view at the Grand Canyon. Curious visitors can take nature walks
along the trails on the edge of the canyon. Hikers may want to venture down the steep trails into the
canyon. However, the crumbling walls of the canyon’s sides make mountain climbing dangerous. A
guided mule trip is a safer way to see the canyon. Trips down the Colorado River also enable tourists
to see the canyon from the inside. Tourists can also take a helicopter or an airplane ride over the
canyon. From the helicopter or plane, passengers can see the different branches of the canyon. The
aircraft can fly into the canyon for a closer view of the river and rock formations. With all of these
approaches, tourists can see the canyon from above, from the inside, or from the edge.
Practice 4
Which of the following groups of words are sentences and which are not? Make them into a correct sentence.
1. closed the door Someone closed the door.
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2. the little girls sang beautifully Correct sentence.
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3. had a pain in her neck She had a pain in her neck.
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4. big grey woolly He wears big grey wooly.
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5. she went into the garden Correct sentence.
_______________________________________
6. like cake tomorrow This chocolate cupcake will look like cake
tomorrow.
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7. we saw her last week Correct sentence.
_____________________________________
8. was crying bitterly in her bedroom Mia was crying bitterly in her bedroom.
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9. big and very strong Bear is big and very strong.
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10. the teacher was very cross Correct sentence.
_____________________________________
11. the boys laughed Correct sentence.
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12. laughed out loud Correct sentence.
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13. for breakfast every day She eats bread for breakfast every day.
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14. your nice new car is Your new care is BMW.
__________________________________
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15. he lost his lovely new watch Correct sentence.
_____________________________________
16. opened the door You opened the door.
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17. climbed up the hill She climbed up the hill.
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18. the door opened Correct sentence
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Practice 5
Draw one line under each simple subject and two lines under each simple predicate.
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39. The spring concert is the biggest event for the choir.
40. Jill decided on a new stereo, speakers, and stand.
41. Ching-Li collects baseball cards of American ballplayers.
42. I worked on my term paper all day.
43. Pam borrowed my dictionary.
44. Mark laughed loudly at my lame joke.
45. Rashida works after school in the deli at Streber’s Market.
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