Basic Grammar

Subjects

The subject of a sentence names who or what the sentence is about. The simple subject is always a noun or a pronoun; the complete subject consists of the simple subject and any words or word groups modifying the simple subject.

Complete subject

To find the complete subject, ask Who? or What?, insert the verb, and finish the question. The answer is the complete subject.

Example sentence: The devastating effects of famine can last for many years. Explanation: The complete subject is The devastating effects of famine.

Who or what lasts for many years? The devastating effects of famine.

Example sentence: Adventure novels that contain multiple subplots are often made into successful movies. Explanation: The complete subject is Adventure novels that contain multiple subplots.

Who or what are made into movies? Adventure novels that contain multiple subplots.

Example sentence: Within one city neighborhood, income levels can vary greatly. Explanation: The complete subject is income levels.

Who or what can vary greatly? Income levels. Sentences frequently open with modifiers such as Within one city neighborhood; it is not safe to assume that the subject must always appear first in a sentence.

Simple subject

To find the simple subject, strip away all modifiers in the complete subject. This includes single-word modifiers such as the and devastating, phrases such as of famine and Within one city neighborhood, and subordinate clauses such as that contain multiple subplots.

A sentence may have a compound subject containing two or more simple subjects joined with a coordinating conjunction such as and or or.

Example sentence: Great commitment and a little luck make a successful actor. Explanation: The simple subject is commitment and luck.

Understood subject

In imperative sentences, which give advice or issue commands, the subject is an understood you.

Example sentence: Put your clothes in the hamper. Explanation: The subject You is understood but not present in the sentence: [You] Put your clothes in the hamper.

Subject after verb

Although the subject ordinarily comes before the verb, occasionally it does not. When a sentence begins with There is or There are (or There was or There were), the subject follows the verb. The word There is an expletive in such constructions, an empty word serving merely to get the sentence started.

Example sentence: There are eight planes waiting to take off. Explanation: The simple subject is planes. The complete subject is eight planes waiting to take off. The subject follows the expletive construction There are.

Sometimes a writer will invert a sentence for effect.

Example sentence: Joyful is the child whose school closes for snow. Explanation: The simple subject is child. The complete subject is the child whose school closes for snow. The sentence is inverted, with the subject following the verb is.

In questions, the subject may appear before the verb, after the verb, or between the helping verb (HV) and main verb (MV).

Example sentence: Do Kenyan marathoners train year-round? Explanation: The simple subject is marathoners. The complete subject is Kenyan marathoners. The sentence is a question, so the subject appears between the helping verb Do and the main verb train.

Example sentence: Why is the race so popular? Explanation: The simple subject is race. The verb is is. The subject comes after the verb because the sentence is a question.

NOTE:The ability to recognize the subject of a sentence will help you edit for a variety of sentence issues: fragments, subject-verb agreement, choice of pronouns such as I or me, missing subjects, and repeated subjects.

Exercises:

Subjects 1

Subjects 2