Subjects and Predicates

1
Subjects and Predicates

• If grammar lessons were holidays, today would be
  Christmas!

2
Complete Subjects and Predicates

• A sentence is a group of words with two main
  parts a complete subject and a complete
  predicate. Together, these parts express a
  complete thought.

3
Complete Subjects and Predicates

• The example sentences below show the two main
  parts of three complete sentences. In each
  sentence, the complete subject is in black
  boldface and includes a noun or pronoun that
  names the person, place, or thing that the
  sentence is about. Each complete predicate is
  italicized and includes a verb that tells
  something about the complete subject.
• 1. Several pilots from various
  countries have vanished in or near the Bermuda
  Triangle.
• 2. The Bermuda Triangle, the area in
  question, lies between Florida, Bermuda, and
  Puerto Rico.
• 3. The U.S.S. Cyclops disappeared
  there in 1918.

4
Complete Subjects and Predicates

• Take Note The complete subject or complete
  predicate can consist of several words or just
  one word.
• Examples
• 1. He read about many different careers.
• 2. The nurse in the white uniform
  arrived.

5
Give it a shot!

• In each of the following sentences, underline the
  complete subject and circle the complete
  predicate
• Nurses teach preventive care and rehabilitation.
• Most nurses work in hospitals.
• Other nurses provide their services in health
  agencies, nursing homes, offices, schools, and
  industries.
• Nurses can be educators, administrators, or
  supervisors.
• Most nursing was done at home in the nineteenth
  century.

6
Simple Subjects and Predicates

• The simple subject is the essential noun,
  pronoun, or group of words acting as a noun that
  cannot be left out of the complete subject. The
  simple predicate is the essential verb phrase
  that cannot be left out of the complete predicate.

7
Simple Subjects and Predicates

• In the following examples, notice that all the
  other words in the complete subject add details
  to the simple subject. Similarly, all of the
  other words in the complete predicate either
  modify the simple predicate or help it complete
  the meaning of the sentence
• 1. Two of his friends studied law enforcement.
• 2. Sick in bed, she had missed her job
  interview.

8
Give it a shot!

• In the following sentences, draw a vertical line
  between the complete subject and complete
  predicate. Next, underline the simple subject
  and circle the simple predicate.
• The police are government agents.
• They protect citizens from unlawful acts.
• The U.S. police establishment operates at several
  levels.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the
  largest and most important department.
• Two other federal departments are the Secret
  Service and the Customs Service.