Subject and Predicate

What is Subject and Predicate?

In linguistics, a sentence is typically composed of two main parts: the subject and the predicate.

The subject is the part of the sentence that performs the action or is being described. It typically consists of a noun or pronoun, and it is usually located at the beginning of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "John is a doctor", "John" is the subject.

The predicate, on the other hand, is the part of the sentence that provides information about the subject. It typically consists of a verb or verb phrase and any other words that modify or complete the verb. For example, in the sentence "John is a doctor", "is a doctor" is the predicate.

In general, the subject and predicate work together to communicate a complete thought or idea.

The subject is the noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that typically performs the action or is being described in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "Mary is eating a sandwich", "Mary" is the subject, because she is the one performing the action of eating. In the sentence "The big, brown dog chased the squirrel", "The big, brown dog" is the subject, because it is the noun phrase that is performing the action of chasing.

The predicate, on the other hand, is made up of the verb or verb phrase and any other words that modify or complete the verb. The predicate typically provides information about what is happening to or by the subject. For example, in the sentence "Mary is eating a sandwich", "is eating a sandwich" is the predicate, because it describes the action that Mary is performing. In the sentence "The big, brown dog chased the squirrel", "chased the squirrel" is the predicate, because it describes the action that the dog is performing.

It's worth noting that the subject and predicate can sometimes be quite complex. For example, a subject might consist of multiple nouns or pronouns, or it might be a compound subject made up of multiple phrases. Similarly, a predicate might consist of multiple verbs or verb phrases, or it might be a compound predicate made up of multiple phrases.

Understanding subjects and predicates is important for understanding how sentences are constructed and how ideas are communicated in language. By identifying the subject and predicate of a sentence, you can gain insight into what the sentence is saying, how it is saying it, and what role each element of the sentence is playing. This can be particularly useful when analyzing or interpreting written or spoken language, and it can help you to communicate more effectively in your own writing and speaking.

In addition, understanding subjects and predicates can be helpful when learning about more complex grammatical concepts, such as clauses and sentence structure. For example, in a complex sentence with multiple clauses, each clause will typically have its own subject and predicate, and understanding how these elements work together can be crucial for understanding the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Some examples of subject and predicate:

Example 1:

The cat sat on the mat.

In this sentence, "The cat" is the subject because it is the noun that is performing the action of "sitting", and "sat on the mat" is the predicate because it is providing information about what the cat is doing.

Example 2:

My friend and I went to the movies last night.

In this sentence, "My friend and I" is the compound subject because it consists of two nouns, and "went to the movies last night" is the predicate because it is providing information about what the subjects did.

Example 3:

The cake was delicious.

In this sentence, "The cake" is the subject because it is the noun that is being described, and "was delicious" is the predicate because it is providing information about the cake's quality.

Example 4:

She sings beautifully.

In this sentence, "She" is the subject because it is the pronoun that is performing the action of "singing", and "sings beautifully" is the predicate because it is providing information about how she sings.

How to identify the Subject and Predicate in a Sentence?

Identifying the subject and predicate in a sentence can be a bit tricky, but there are a few steps you can follow to make the process easier:

Step 1: Look for the Verb

The first step in identifying the subject and predicate is to look for the verb in the sentence. The verb is usually located in the predicate and expresses an action or state of being. Once you have identified the verb, you can move on to finding the subject.

Step 2: Ask Who or What

To identify the subject, ask yourself "who" or "what" is doing the action indicated by the verb. The answer to this question is usually the subject of the sentence.

Step 3: Check for Modifiers

Once you have identified the subject, look for any words that modify or describe it. These words may be adjectives, articles, or other modifiers that provide more information about the subject.

Step 4: Combine the Subject and Predicate

Finally, combine the subject and predicate to form a complete sentence.

Let's look at an example to see how this process works:

Example: The cat sat on the mat.

Step 1: Look for the Verb

The verb in this sentence is "sat".

Step 2: Ask Who or What

"Who" or "what" sat? The answer is "the cat".

Step 3: Check for Modifiers

There are no modifiers in this sentence.

Step 4: Combine the Subject and Predicate

The subject is "the cat" and the predicate is "sat on the mat". 

So, the complete sentence is "The cat sat on the mat".

By following these steps, you should be able to identify the subject and predicate in most sentences. However, keep in mind that some sentences can be more complex and have multiple subjects or predicates. In those cases, you will need to identify all of the subjects and predicates to fully understand the sentence's meaning.

Is subject always at the start of the sentence?

In most sentences, the subject comes at the beginning of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "The cat sat on the mat", "the cat" is the subject and it comes at the beginning of the sentence.

However, in some sentences, the subject can come after the verb. For example, in the sentence "The cake was baked by Mary", "Mary" is the subject but it comes after the verb "was baked".

Also, some sentences may have more than one subject, and these subjects may not always appear at the beginning of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "John and Jane went to the store", "John and Jane" are both subjects, but they come after the verb "went".

So, while the subject usually comes at the beginning of a sentence, there are some cases where it can come after the verb, or where there can be more than one subject and they may not always come at the beginning of the sentence.

Some examples of sentences where the subject comes after the verb:

The pizza was eaten by the children.

In this sentence, "pizza" is the object of the verb "was eaten", and "children" is the subject, but it comes after the verb.

The car was driven by the teacher.

In this sentence, "car" is the object of the verb "was driven", and "teacher" is the subject, but it comes after the verb.

The song was written by the famous composer.

In this sentence, "song" is the object of the verb "was written", and "famous composer" is the subject, but it comes after the verb.

The book was read by the students.

In this sentence, "book" is the object of the verb "was read", and "students" is the subject, but it comes after the verb.

The cake was baked by my grandmother.

In this sentence, "cake" is the object of the verb "was baked", and "my grandmother" is the subject, but it comes after the verb.

These examples show how the subject can come after the verb in a sentence, and how it can still be identified by looking at what is performing the action indicated by the verb.

Summary

Overall, subjects and predicates are foundational elements of sentence structure, and they play a crucial role in helping us to communicate information and ideas through language.