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The following sentences
clearly have one thing in common:
- Charles Dickens was a writer who lived in
London.
- Charles Dickens wrote short stories and
novels.
- In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas
Carol.
They are about Charles Dickens.
Charles Dickens
is the subject of the
sentence, both in terms of meaning (The sentences are about Charles Dickens)
and grammatically (Charles Dickens is
the subject of each of those sentences and this one as well.)
The
subject of a sentence tells us what person, place, thing, or idea the sentence
is about, or what person, place, thing, or idea is responsible for what happens
in the sentence.
The subject is made of a noun
or a pronoun (or a group of nouns/pronouns) and its modifiers (adjectives
and adverbs that modify the adjectives).
In most English sentences and
clauses, the subject comes before the predicate.
Ask
"Who?" or "What?" in front of the verb.
Examples:
- The presence of the first spirit amazed
Scrooge.
What amazed Scrooge?
The presence
of the first spirit
"The
presence of the first spirit" is the subject of the sentence.
- The images
of his past caused a change in Scrooge's attitude.
What caused a change in Scrooge's attitude?
The images of his past
"The
images of his past"
is the subject of the sentence.
- The portly gentlemen wanted Scrooge to give
money for charity.
Who wanted Scrooge to give money for charity?
The portly gentlemen
"The
portly gentlemen"
is the subject of the sentence.
Remember
- even if the subject comes after
the verb, it will answer "Who?"
or "What?"
- There were great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts.
What were there?
great,
round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts
"great,
round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts" is the subject of the sentence.
- At
Bob Cratchit's elbow stood the family display of glass: two tumblers,
and a custard-cup without a handle.
What stood?
the
family display of glass; two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle.
"the
family display of glass; two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle"
is the subject of the sentence.
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Introduction
| Verbs | Subject,
Predicate | Objects | Phrases
| Clauses
The Simple Sentence | The
Compound Sentence | The Complex Sentence
The Compound-Complex Sentence | Sentence
types in a paragraph
Exercises
Least
Tern