English:Subjects, Predicates, and Objects
Subjects, Predicates, and Objects
Introduction
Every complete sentence has a structure. When you understand that structure, you can read more carefully, write more clearly, and revise your own work with confidence. In this course, you will learn to find the subject, the predicate, and common kinds of objects in sentences. You will also learn how these parts work together.
A useful example is: The curious fox chased the rabbit. The complete subject is The curious fox. The complete predicate is chased the rabbit. The simple subject is fox, the verb is chased, and the direct object is rabbit.
The diagram below shows how a simple English sentence can be split into a noun phrase and a verb phrase. For now, notice that the sentence has a subject side and a predicate side.
By the end of the aiMOOC, you should be able to identify sentence parts, explain how they are connected, compare sentences with and without objects, and create clear sentences of your own.
Building a Sentence
The Subject
The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is mainly about. In many action sentences, the subject performs the action, but that is not always the best test. For example, in The ball rolled downhill, ball is the subject even though the ball is not a person choosing to act.
The simple subject is the main noun or pronoun in the subject. In The three noisy puppies barked, the simple subject is puppies. The complete subject includes the simple subject and all the words that describe or complete it: The three noisy puppies.
A subject can also be compound. In Mia and Jordan built a model, Mia and Jordan form a compound subject because two people share the same predicate.
This diagram shows the connection between a subject and a verb. Look for the part that names the subject and the part that carries the verb.
The Predicate
The predicate tells what the subject does, has, or is. In school grammar, the predicate contains the verb and may also contain objects, descriptions, or other words that add information.
In The three noisy puppies barked at the mail carrier, the simple predicate is the verb barked. The complete predicate is barked at the mail carrier.
A predicate can contain more than one verb. In Nora packed her bag and hurried to the bus, packed her bag and hurried to the bus is the complete predicate. The subject Nora does both actions.
The image below is a more advanced visual. You do not need to memorize every branch. Notice that the sentence is divided into parts around a predicate structure.
Subject and Predicate Together
A complete sentence usually needs a subject and a predicate that make a complete thought. The old bicycle is only a subject group, not a complete sentence. Rattled over the stones is only a predicate group. Together, The old bicycle rattled over the stones expresses a complete thought.
Some commands have an understood subject. In Close the door, the subject you is understood even though it is not written. This is common in instructions and directions.
Objects
Direct Objects
A direct object receives the action of an action verb. A helpful method is to find the subject and verb first, and then ask whom? or what? after the verb.
In Ava carried the lantern, the subject is Ava and the verb is carried. Ask, Ava carried what? The answer is lantern, so lantern is the direct object.
Not every sentence has a direct object. In Ava laughed, there is no direct object because the action does not pass to another person or thing.
The tree below represents John hit the ball. The labels NP and VP mean noun phrase and verb phrase. You can see the subject side, the verb, and the noun phrase that contains the object.
Indirect Objects
An indirect object tells who or what receives the direct object, or who benefits from the action. In Lena gave her brother a book, book is the direct object because it is the thing given. Brother is the indirect object because he receives the book.
A common pattern is subject + verb + indirect object + direct object. You can often rewrite the idea with to or for: Lena gave a book to her brother. This comparison can help you recognize the receiver.
Objects and Linking Verbs
Do not label every noun after a verb as an object. Linking verbs such as forms of be can connect the subject to a word that describes or renames it. In Maya is a scientist, scientist renames Maya; it is not a direct object.
This rule helps you avoid a common mistake: first decide whether the verb shows an action that can pass to an object.
A Step-by-Step Strategy
When a sentence feels difficult, use this order. First, locate the verb or verb phrase. Next, ask who or what is connected to that verb as the subject. Then identify the complete subject and complete predicate. If the verb shows an action, ask whom or what after the verb to test for a direct object. Finally, look for a receiver if the sentence also contains an indirect object.
Try the method with The science teacher showed our class a meteorite. The verb is showed. The subject is teacher. The complete subject is The science teacher. The direct object is meteorite, because that is what the teacher showed. The indirect object is class, because the class received the showing.
This sentence diagram is another way to visualize how words connect. Different diagram systems look different, but each tries to show relationships among sentence parts.
Pronouns as Subjects and Objects
Pronouns can take the place of nouns. Subject pronouns include words such as I, he, she, we, and they. Object pronouns include words such as me, him, her, us, and them.
Compare She called him with He called her. The form of the pronoun changes because its job in the sentence changes. Learning to identify subject and object roles can help you choose the correct pronoun.
More Sentence Patterns
English sentences can be built in several useful patterns. Birds fly has a subject and an action verb, so it has no direct object. Birds eat seeds has a subject, verb, and direct object. The coach gave us instructions has a subject, verb, indirect object, and direct object. The sky became dark has a subject, linking verb, and a word that describes the subject rather than an object.
The image below shows another representation of the sentence John hit the ball. Compare it with the earlier tree and notice that different diagrams can show the same basic relationships in different ways.
Common Mistakes and Helpful Checks
A long subject can hide the main noun. In The basket of fresh apples sat on the counter, the simple subject is basket, not apples. The words of fresh apples belong to a phrase that gives more information about the basket.
A noun near a verb is not automatically an object. In The winner was Elena, Elena renames the subject through a linking verb. In The winner thanked Elena, Elena receives the action and is a direct object.
When you revise your writing, check whether every sentence has a clear subject-predicate relationship. Then check whether action verbs that need objects have complete ideas after them.
Interactive Tasks
Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
What is the simple subject in the sentence The small robot opened the door? (robot) (!small) (!opened) (!door)
What is the complete predicate in the sentence The bright kite sailed above the trees? (sailed above the trees) (!The bright kite) (!bright kite) (!the trees)
What is the direct object in the sentence Marcus kicked the ball? (ball) (!Marcus) (!kicked) (!the)
Which sentence has no direct object? (The baby slept) (!The baby hugged Dad) (!The baby dropped the spoon) (!The baby found a toy)
What is the indirect object in the sentence Priya sent her friend a postcard? (friend) (!Priya) (!postcard) (!sent)
Which words form the complete subject in the sentence The tall trees near the river swayed? (The tall trees near the river) (!swayed) (!near the river swayed) (!The tall)
Which word is the verb in the sentence Our class studied volcanoes? (studied) (!class) (!Our) (!volcanoes)
In the sentence Maya is a scientist what is scientist? (a word that renames the subject) (!a direct object) (!an indirect object) (!the simple subject)
What is the understood subject in the command Please sit down? (you) (!please) (!sit) (!down)
Which sentence follows a subject verb indirect object direct object pattern? (The coach gave us instructions) (!The coach arrived early) (!The coach praised the team) (!The coach was cheerful)
Memory Game
| Simple subject | Main noun or pronoun in the subject |
| Complete subject | Simple subject together with its describing words |
| Simple predicate | Main verb or verb phrase |
| Complete predicate | Verb and all the words that tell about the subject |
| Direct object | Person or thing that receives the action |
| Indirect object | Receiver or beneficiary connected with the direct object |
Drag and Drop
| Match the correct terms. | Topic |
|---|---|
| Complete subject | The curious red fox |
| Simple subject | fox |
| Complete predicate | chased the rabbit quickly |
| Verb | chased |
| Direct object | rabbit |
...
Crossword Puzzle
| Subject | What sentence part tells who or what the sentence is mainly about? |
| Predicate | What sentence part tells what the subject does has or is? |
| Object | What sentence part can receive the action of a verb? |
| Verb | What word type shows an action or state and is central to the predicate? |
| Recipient | What word describes the receiver named by an indirect object? |
| Linking | What kind of verb can connect a subject to a word that describes or renames it? |
LearningApps
Cloze Text
Open-Ended Tasks
Easy
- Sentence Hunt: Find five complete sentences in a book or classroom text. Copy them and underline each subject once and each predicate twice.
- Object Detective: Write six action sentences. Circle the verb in each sentence and label any direct object.
- Sentence Builder: Create four sentence strips by combining a subject card with a predicate card. Read the results aloud and decide whether each makes a complete thought.
- Grammar Sketch: Draw a simple picture of an action scene and write three sentences about it. Label the subject, verb, and any direct object in each sentence.
Standard
- Interview Sentences: Interview a classmate about a hobby. Turn four answers into complete sentences and identify the complete subjects and predicates.
- Pronoun Switch: Write a short paragraph, then replace selected nouns with suitable subject or object pronouns without changing their sentence roles.
- Object Comparison: Create a chart with examples of sentences that have no object, a direct object, or both an indirect and direct object. Explain what changes.
- Grammar Video: Record a short teaching video in which you explain one sentence and point out its subject, predicate, verb, and object.
Advanced
- Sentence Diagram Project: Choose five sentences of increasing length and design your own clear visual system for showing how subjects, predicates, verbs, and objects connect.
- Linking Verb Investigation: Collect examples with action verbs and linking verbs. Explain why a noun after a linking verb is not automatically a direct object.
- Writing Revision Study: Examine a paragraph from your own writing, mark its sentence parts, and revise at least three sentences to make their structure clearer or more varied.
- Grammar Field Study: Visit a library, museum, school display, or public information board and collect six written sentences. Analyze their structures and present what patterns you found.
Learning Assessment
- Analyze a New Sentence: Explain how you would identify the subject, predicate, verb, and any objects in the sentence The young inventor showed the judges her machine.
- Compare Sentence Patterns: Compare The dog barked, The dog chased the ball, and The dog brought us the ball. Explain what each added sentence part contributes.
- Correct a Mislabeling: A learner says that teacher is a direct object in The winner became the teacher. Explain why that label is incorrect and describe the role of the linking verb.
- Transform and Explain: Rewrite Ella handed Max the notebook as Ella handed the notebook to Max and explain what stays the same in meaning and what changes in the sentence structure.
- Revise for Clarity: Improve a confusing sentence by making the subject-predicate relationship easier to follow, then justify your revision.
- Create and Defend: Write one sentence with a compound subject and a direct object. Label its parts and explain how you know each label is correct.
Evidence of Learning
- Knowledge Evidence: You can explain the difference between a simple subject, complete subject, simple predicate, complete predicate, direct object, and indirect object.
- Analysis Evidence: You can identify sentence parts accurately in familiar and unfamiliar examples.
- Product Evidence: You can produce labelled sentences, a grammar diagram, or a short teaching explanation that shows how sentence parts connect.
- Writing Evidence: You can create complete sentences with different subject-predicate-object patterns.
- Revision Evidence: You can use grammar analysis to improve clarity and correct errors in your own writing.
- Transfer Evidence: You can apply the same ideas when reading stories, informational texts, instructions, and real-world signs.
OERs on the Topic
The English Wikipedia article on grammatical subjects can help you explore the topic in greater depth. You can also follow internal links to predicates, objects, verbs, and sentences.
Linked Learning Areas