Basic Sentence Structure Original Resource Produced by Briar

Basic Sentence Structure Original Resource Produced by Briar Cliff University Writing Center

Subject – Verb – Object The basic structure of the English language contains three main things. Subject – This is the topic of sentence. It is actor. The subject is usually the one who performs the verb. Verb – This is the action in the sentence. The verb is what's happening or being done. Object – This receives the action. The object is the thing that the subject is acting upon. The object receives the verb.

Subject The subject can be many things. It can be a phrase, a gerund, or an unmentioned but understood thing. At its most basic level, it is a noun. A noun is a person, place, or thing. In this resource, the subject will always be a noun. Let's look at some examples of subjects.

Examples of Subjects First person: I, me, and we Second person: You (singular and plural) Third person: He, she, them and they

Verb The verb is the action. It is task that the subject performs. The verb can take many forms depending upon tense and other factors. In this resource, the verb will be in past tense so that the user can identify it easily. Let's take a look at some examples of verbs.

Examples of Verbs To run To wash To see To watch

Object The object receives the action. The subject performs the verb on the object. The object is typically, like the subject, a noun. In this resource, the object will always be a noun. Let's take a look at some possible objects.

Examples of Objects A race A car A movie A theater

Putting the Pieces Together Let's look at subjects, verbs, and objects in sentences. I ran the race. You washed the car. They watched a movie.

Self Test Identify the subject, verb and object in each sentence. They ran the race. I rode my bike. She read a book. You played guitar. We ate dinner. He drove his car.

Self Test - Answers Identify the subject, verb and object in each sentence. They ran the race. I rode my bike. She read a book. You played guitar. We ate dinner. He drove his car.