Parts of a Sentence: Subject & Predicate
Every sentence in English is made up of two essential parts: the subject and the predicate. Understanding these parts is fundamental to mastering English grammar and effective communication.
What is a Subject?
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that performs the action or is being described. It tells us who or what the sentence is about.
A single noun:
Birds fly.
A pronoun:
She sings well.
A group of words (noun phrase):
The little boy with the red hat is my nephew.
What is a Predicate?
The predicate tells us something about the subject. It includes the verb (action or state of being) and all the words related to it. In short, it describes what the subject is doing or what is happening to it.
How to Identify Subject and Predicate
Follow these simple steps to break down any sentence.
1. Find the verb first
This is usually the core of the predicate.
2. Ask "Who?" or "What?"
Ask this question before the verb. The answer is your subject.
3. The rest is the predicate
Everything that is not the subject forms the predicate.
Example: "The children are playing in the park."
Verb: "are playing"
Who are playing? → The children (Subject)
What are they doing? → are playing in the park (Predicate)
Types of Subjects and Predicates
Why It's Important
- Understanding subjects and predicates helps you construct clear, grammatically correct sentences.
- It improves your reading comprehension and writing skills.
- It is the first step to recognizing and fixing sentence errors like fragments or run-ons.