Subject & Predicate: How to Know Parts of a Sentence
Original EnglishLamp lesson with a visual learning surface.
VISUAL EXPLAINER · SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Build the sentence around its core.
A sentence is more than a row of words. Find the subject and predicate first, then notice the objects, complements and modifiers that complete or expand the meaning.
01 · COMPLETE THOUGHT
A sentence communicates a complete idea.
In writing, a complete sentence normally has a clause structure that can stand on its own. A fragment may leave the reader waiting for the missing idea.
EXAMPLEBecause the learner arrived early … (unfinished) · The learner arrived early. (complete)
02 · SUBJECT
Identify the subject of the clause.
The subject often tells who or what the clause is about. It is not always the first noun you see, so check the verb and the whole clause.
EXAMPLEThe learner reads a book.
03 · PREDICATE
Find the verb and what completes its meaning.
The predicate includes the verb and the other elements associated with it. Depending on the verb, a clause may have an object, a complement, or neither.
EXAMPLEThe learner reads a book.
04 · ADD DETAIL
Modifiers expand the meaning.
Adjectives, adverbs and phrases can add useful detail about a person, action, time, place or manner without changing the core event.
EXAMPLEThe focused learner reads a book quietly after class.
05 · CHECK THE PATTERN
Use the pattern that the verb needs.
Subject–verb–object is a common pattern, not the only one. Some clauses use a subject and linking verb with a complement; others do not need an object.
EXAMPLEThe learner reads. · The learner is curious.
Continue below for the full EnglishLamp lesson, its original examples and reference material.
Original EnglishLamp lesson•Reference learning mode
Subject and predicate are two parts of sentence. Parts of sentence and parts of speech are totally different. There is no resemblance between them. We have seen what the sentence is! and types of sentence in the last chapter. In this chapter we shall see more about parts of sentence.
There are two parts of sentence-
Subject and
Predicate
Subject is one or more than one word and remaining part is predicate. Subject of sentence could be a noun, pronoun, phrase or a clause.
In Sentence-
Subject is a topic that is about what the sentence is.
Predicate is a description about the subject in that sentence.
Parts of Sentence- Subject and Predicate
In a sentence, a word or group of words about what the description is about is a subject and the description about subject is predicate. It means in a sentence, all the words excluding subject is predicate.
Example of parts of sentence
Now, we shall take some examples showing subject and predicate to understand better.
She is very happy.
In above sentence, ‘she’ is a subject about what the explanation is given and remaining part of the sentence that is ‘is very happy’ is predicate.
That is a snake.
In this example, ‘that’ is a subject about what is spoken in the sentence. Remaining all words excluding subject is predicate. It means, in above sentence, the predicate is-‘is a snake.’
Examples of Long Predicate in Sentence
Here are some examples having more than four words in the predicate.
Let’s have a look-
He and his brothers were working very hard to build their house.
In above sentence, ‘he and his brothers’ is a subject and remaining part is predicate.
Sixth class students and their teachers decided to go for a picnic at Kalbadevi near Mumbai.
In this sentence, ‘Sixth class students and their teachers’ is a subject and remaining part is predicate.
Now you might got better about the subject and predicate which are the parts of sentence.
