Lesson 2.1: What is a Sentence? - Subject and Predicate

Module 2: Sentence Basics

Lesson 2.1: What is a Sentence? - Subject and Predicate

What is a Sentence? Expressing a Complete Thought!

A sentence is more than just a bunch of words put together. A real sentence is a group of words that:

  • Expresses a complete thought. It makes sense on its own.
  • Has a Subject and a Predicate. These are the two main parts of a sentence.
  • Starts with a capital letter and ends with punctuation. (Like a period, question mark, or exclamation point).

Think of a sentence as a complete idea "package" in language. Let's break down the key parts:

Subject: Who or What is Doing the Action?

The subject of a sentence is who or what the sentence is about. It's the person, place, thing, or idea that is performing the action or being described. The subject is usually a noun or a pronoun.

Finding the Subject: Ask "Who?" or "What?" + Verb

To find the subject, ask yourself: "Who or what is doing the verb's action?" or "Who or what is being described?"

Examples of Subjects (Subjects in bold):

  • The cat slept on the sofa. (Who slept? The cat.)
  • Sarah is reading a book. (Who is reading? Sarah.)
  • They are playing football. (Who are playing? They.)
  • The weather is beautiful today. (What is beautiful? The weather.)
  • My brother likes to cook. (Who likes to cook? My brother.)

Simple Subjects and Complete Subjects:

  • Simple Subject: Just the main noun or pronoun that is the subject. (In "The big brown dog barked," the simple subject is just "dog").
  • Complete Subject: Includes the simple subject and all the words that describe or modify it. (In "The big brown dog barked," the complete subject is "The big brown dog").

In most cases, when we talk about the "subject," we usually mean the simple subject - the core noun or pronoun.

Predicate: What is Said About the Subject?

The predicate of a sentence is everything that is said about the subject. It contains the verb and all the other words that complete the thought about the subject. The predicate tells us what the subject is doing or what is happening to the subject.

Finding the Predicate: It's everything that is NOT the Subject!

Once you've found the subject, the predicate is usually everything else in the sentence! It always includes the verb.

Examples of Predicates (Predicates in bold):

  • The cat slept on the sofa. (What did the cat do? Slept on the sofa.)
  • Sarah is reading a book. (What is Sarah doing? Is reading a book.)
  • They are playing football. (What are they doing? Are playing football.)
  • The weather is beautiful today. (What is the weather? Is beautiful today.)
  • My brother likes to cook. (What does my brother like? Likes to cook.)

Simple Predicates and Complete Predicates:

  • Simple Predicate: Just the main verb in the predicate. (In "The dog barked loudly," the simple predicate is just "barked").
  • Complete Predicate: Includes the verb and all the words that modify or complete the verb's meaning. (In "The dog barked loudly at the mailman," the complete predicate is "barked loudly at the mailman").

Similar to the subject, when we just say "predicate," we often mean the simple predicate - just the main verb.

Every Sentence Needs Both! Subject + Predicate = Sentence!

To be a complete sentence, you must have both a subject and a predicate. Without both parts, it's just a fragment, not a full sentence.

Examples of Sentence Fragments (Missing Subject or Predicate):

  • "Slept on the sofa." (Missing subject - Who slept?) - Fragment
  • "The big brown dog." (Missing predicate - What did the dog do?) - Fragment
  • "Is reading." (Missing subject - Who is reading?) - Fragment

Make them into Sentences by adding the missing part!

  • "The cat slept on the sofa." - Sentence (Subject "cat" added)
  • "The big brown dog barked loudly." - Sentence (Predicate "barked loudly" added)
  • "Sarah is reading." - Sentence (Subject "Sarah" added)

Key takeaway: Sentences are the building blocks of language! Understanding subjects and predicates is the first step in understanding sentence structure. Every sentence needs a subject (who or what) and a predicate (what about the subject) to express a complete thought. Next, we'll look at different types of sentences!