UNDERSTANDING SENTENCES Subjects and predicates Sentence A sentence

UNDERSTANDING SENTENCES Subjects and predicates

Sentence A sentence is made up of one or more words that express a complete thought. Sentences begin with a capital letter; they end with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point. A sentence consists of two parts, the subject and the predicate.

The Subject The subject is the part of the sentence about which something is being said. The subject can be any of the following things: The person who does the action in the sentence: Josh serves the tennis ball. The thing that does the action in the sentence: The ball zips through the air. The person being described in the sentence: Josh is happy about his powerful serve. The thing being described in the sentence: The ball is happy when the point is over and it can rest!

The subject is always a noun, pronoun, a word/phrase/clause (gerunds) Simple subject: the subject without modifiers Most wildlife biologists disapprove of crossbreeding wolves and dogs. Complete: the subject with all of its modifiers Most wildlife biologists disapprove of crossbreeding wolves and dogs. Compound: two or more simple subjects. Wise breeders and owners know that wolf-dog puppies can display unexpected destructive behaviors. Understood: Sometimes the subject is “hides” from you. Run! (You run!)

The Predicate The predicate is the part of the sentence that shows action or says something about the subject. (the verb) Simple: is the verb without its modifiers One giant squid measured nearly 6 o feet long. Complete: the verb with all its modifiers (helping verbs, adverbs, prep. phrases etc. ) One giant squid measured nearly 6 o feet long. Compound: two or more verbs The giant squid killed and ate its prey.

Try It! Write the complete subject of the following sentences and circle the simple subject. Example: There is always talk about alternative sources of energy.

Try It! Write the complete predicate of the following sentences and circle the simple predicate or compound predicate. Example: North America’s greatest earthquake did not happen in California, Alaska, or Mexico.