# Chapter 2: Subject and Predicate
Every time we speak or write a complete sentence, we are essentially doing two things:
1. We are naming a person, place, or thing.
2. We are saying something *about* that person, place, or thing.
Think of a sentence like a movie. The **Subject** is the star or main character of the movie, and the **Predicate** is the plot or action—what the star is doing or what is happening to them.
---
## 1. The Subject
The **Subject** is the part of the sentence that names who or what the sentence is about. It is usually a noun or a pronoun, and it often comes at the very beginning of the sentence.
* **Example 1:** **Dogs** bark. *(Who is the sentence about? Dogs.)*
* **Example 2:** **The bright yellow sun** shines brightly. *(What is the sentence about? The bright yellow sun.)*
Notice that a subject can be just one word (*Dogs*), or it can be a group of words (*The bright yellow sun*).
## 2. The Predicate
The **Predicate** is the part of the sentence that tells us something about the subject. It contains the **verb** (the action or state of being) and everything else that completes the thought.
* **Example 1:** Dogs **bark loudly at strangers**. *(What do the dogs do? They bark loudly at strangers.)*
* **Example 2:** The bright yellow sun **shines brightly**. *(What does the sun do? It shines brightly.)*
### A Quick Visual Breakdown
| Complete Sentence | Subject (Who/What) | Predicate (Action/Information) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Birds fly. | Birds | fly. |
| My best friend loves pizza. | My best friend | loves pizza. |
| The old clock ticked loudly. | The old clock | ticked loudly. |
---
## 3. Step-by-Step: How to Find the Subject and Predicate
If you are ever confused about how to split a sentence, follow these two simple steps:
1. **Find the Verb:** Look for the action word or the "being" word (is, am, are, was, were).
2. **Ask "Who?" or "What?" before the verb:** The answer is your Subject. Everything else, including the verb, is your Predicate.
> **Let's try it together:** *The little boy ate an apple.*
> * **Step 1:** The verb is *ate*.
> * **Step 2:** Ask, "Who ate?" The answer is *The little boy*.
> * **Result:** Subject = *The little boy* | Predicate = *ate an apple*.
>
>
---
## 4. Important Rules and Exceptions
While the subject usually comes first, English grammar likes to keep us on our toes! Here are two major exceptions you must know.
### Exception A: Inverted Order (Predicate First)
Sometimes, for poetic effect or to add emphasis, a sentence is flipped backward. The predicate comes first, and the subject hides at the end.
* *Normal:* The bus comes here.
* *Inverted:* Here comes **the bus**. *(What comes? The bus. Subject: the bus)*
* *Normal:* The uses of adversity are sweet.
* *Inverted:* Sweet are **the uses of adversity**. *(What is sweet? The uses of adversity. Subject: the uses of adversity)*
### Exception B: Imperative Sentences (Commands/Requests)
When you give an order or make a request, the subject is usually entirely invisible! Because you are speaking directly to someone, the subject **"You"** is understood, even though it isn't written.
* *Sentence:* Sit down.
* *Explanation:* The sentence actually means "(You) sit down." The subject is the hidden word **You**, and the predicate is **sit down**.
* *Sentence:* Thank him.
* *Explanation:* Subject = **(You)** | Predicate = **Thank him**.
---
## 5. Common Mistakes & Tips to Avoid Them
* **Mistake:** Thinking the subject is always just one word.
* *Tip:* The subject includes the main noun AND all the words describing it. In *"The old haunted house on the hill is scary,"* the entire phrase *"The old haunted house on the hill"* is the subject.
* **Mistake:** Including the verb in the subject.
* *Tip:* The verb ALWAYS marks the beginning of the predicate.
* **Mistake:** Forgetting to rearrange inverted sentences.
* *Tip:* Always turn questions and poetic sentences into normal statements first. *"Over the hill ran the dog"* should become *"The dog ran over the hill"* before you look for the subject.
---
## 6. Quick Summary
* **Sentence** = Subject + Predicate.
* **Subject** = The "who" or "what" the sentence is about.
* **Predicate** = What the subject does, or what is said about the subject (always contains the verb).
* **Commands** = The subject is always a hidden "You".
---
## 7. Solutions to the Chapter Exercise
Here are the step-by-step solutions for the original 27 sentences.
| No. | Subject | Predicate | Note / Explanation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | The cackling of geese | saved Rome. | Ask: What saved Rome? |
| 2 | The boy | stood on the burning deck. | Ask: Who stood? |
| 3 | Tubal Cain | was a man of might. | "Was" is the verb. |
| 4 | Stone walls | do not make a prison. | Ask: What do not make a prison? |
| 5 | The singing of the birds | delights us. | "Delights" is the verb. |
| 6 | Miss Kitty | was rude at the table one day. | Ask: Who was rude? |
| 7 | He | has a good memory. | "Has" is the verb. |
| 8 | Bad habits | grow unconsciously. | Ask: What grows? |
| 9 | The earth | revolves round the sun. | Ask: What revolves? |
| 10 | Nature | is the best physician. | "Is" is the verb. |
| 11 | Edison | invented the phonograph. | Ask: Who invented? |
| 12 | The sea | hath many thousand sands. | "Hath" is old English for "has". |
| 13 | We | cannot pump the ocean dry. | Ask: Who cannot pump? |
| 14 | Borrowed garments | never fit well. | Ask: What never fits? |
| 15 | The early bird | catches the worm. | Include "The early" with the bird. |
| 16 | All matter | is indestructible. | Ask: What is indestructible? |
| 17 | Islamabad | is the capital of Pakistan. | Ask: What is the capital? |
| 18 | We | should profit by experience. | "Should profit" is the verb phrase. |
| 19 | All roads | lead to Rome. | Ask: What leads? |
| 20 | A guilty conscience | needs no excuse. | Ask: What needs no excuse? |
| 21 | The beautiful rainbow | soon faded away. | "Faded" is the verb. |
| 22 | No man | can serve two masters. | Include "No" as part of the subject. |
| 23 | A sick room | should be well aired. | Ask: What should be well aired? |
| 24 | The dewdrops | glitter in the sunshine. | Ask: What glitters? |
| 25 | I | shot an arrow into the air. | Ask: Who shot? |
| 26 | the shepherd | hears a barking sound. | **Inverted!** Normal order: The shepherd hears a barking sound. |
| 27 | a hermit | lives on the top of the hill. | **Inverted!** Normal order: A hermit lives on the top of the hill. |
---
## 8. Additional Practice Exercises
Test your understanding with these new challenges. Separate the Subject and Predicate.
1. The angry black dog barked at the mailman.
2. Under the bridge lives an old troll.
3. Please close the window.
4. My mother and father are traveling to Japan.
5. Out of the woods came a giant bear.
### Solutions to Additional Practice:
1. **Subject:** The angry black dog | **Predicate:** barked at the mailman.
2. **Subject:** an old troll | **Predicate:** lives under the bridge. *(Inverted sentence)*
3. **Subject:** (You) | **Predicate:** please close the window. *(Imperative sentence)*
4. **Subject:** My mother and father | **Predicate:** are traveling to Japan. *(Compound subject)*
5. **Subject:** a giant bear | **Predicate:** came out of the woods. *(Inverted sentence)*
---
## 9. Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
**1. What are the two main parts of a sentence?**
A) Noun and Verb
B) Subject and Predicate
C) Subject and Object
D) Adjective and Adverb
*Correct Answer: B. Every complete sentence requires a subject and a predicate to form a complete thought.*
**2. Which part of the sentence names the person or thing we are speaking about?**
A) The Predicate
B) The Verb
C) The Subject
D) The Object
*Correct Answer: C. The subject is the "who" or "what" of the sentence.*
**3. Identify the subject in this sentence: "The tall green trees swayed in the wind."**
A) The tall
B) trees swayed
C) swayed in the wind
D) The tall green trees
*Correct Answer: D. The subject includes the main noun (trees) and all its describing words (The tall green).*
**4. Identify the predicate in this sentence: "My little sister paints beautiful pictures."**
A) My little sister
B) paints beautiful pictures
C) beautiful pictures
D) sister paints
*Correct Answer: B. The predicate starts with the verb (paints) and includes everything that follows.*
**5. Which word is the subject in the sentence: "Up into the sky flew the rocket"?**
A) Up
B) sky
C) flew
D) the rocket
*Correct Answer: D. This is an inverted sentence. If you ask "What flew?", the answer is "the rocket".*
**6. Identify the subject in the sentence: "Wash your hands."**
A) Wash
B) hands
C) your
D) (You)
*Correct Answer: D. This is a command (imperative sentence). The subject is an understood "You".*
**7. In the sentence "A flock of birds flew south for the winter," what is the predicate?**
A) A flock of birds
B) flew south
C) flew south for the winter
D) for the winter
*Correct Answer: C. The predicate starts with the verb "flew" and includes the entire rest of the sentence.*
**8. Which of the following is true about a predicate?**
A) It always comes before the subject.
B) It never contains a verb.
C) It tells something about the subject.
D) It is only one word long.
*Correct Answer: C. The predicate's job is to give information about what the subject is doing or being.*
**9. Identify the subject: "In the middle of the night, the baby started crying."**
A) In the middle
B) of the night
C) the baby
D) started crying
*Correct Answer: C. Even though there is an introductory phrase, the sentence is fundamentally about "the baby".*
**10. Identify the subject: "Listen to me."**
A) Listen
B) to me
C) me
D) (You)
*Correct Answer: D. This is an imperative sentence; you are giving a command to someone, so the subject is "You".*
**11. What is the predicate in: "The dusty old book on the top shelf belongs to my grandfather."**
A) The dusty old book
B) belongs to my grandfather
C) on the top shelf
D) my grandfather
*Correct Answer: B. The verb is "belongs". Everything from the verb onward is the predicate.*
**12. Identify the subject: "There goes my bus!"**
A) There
B) goes
C) my bus
D) my
*Correct Answer: C. This sentence is inverted. Asking "What goes?" gives the answer "my bus".*
**13. In the sentence "Reading books improves your vocabulary," what is the subject?**
A) Reading books
B) improves
C) your vocabulary
D) books improves
*Correct Answer: A. Here, the activity of "Reading books" is the "what" that performs the action of improving.*
**14. True or False: The subject always consists of just one noun or pronoun.**
A) True, subjects cannot be more than one word.
B) False, subjects can include modifiers and be a group of words.
C) True, unless it is an imperative sentence.
D) False, but only in inverted sentences.
*Correct Answer: B. Subjects can be long phrases, such as "The big fluffy dog with the red collar."*
**15. Identify the predicate: "Yesterday, it rained heavily."**
A) Yesterday
B) it
C) rained heavily
D) Yesterday, it
*Correct Answer: C. The subject is "it", and the action it performed was "rained heavily". (Yesterday is an adverbial time marker).*
**16. Identify the subject: "Deep in the cave slept a fierce dragon."**
A) Deep in the cave
B) slept
C) a fierce dragon
D) cave slept
*Correct Answer: C. Inverted sentence. Ask: "Who slept?" The fierce dragon.*
**17. What is the predicate in: "My computer crashed again."**
A) My computer
B) crashed
C) crashed again
D) again
*Correct Answer: C. Starts with the verb "crashed" and includes the adverb "again".*
**18. In the sentence "Both the teacher and the students were happy," what is the subject?**
A) Both the teacher
B) the students
C) were happy
D) Both the teacher and the students
*Correct Answer: D. This is a compound subject; the sentence is about both groups of people.*
**19. Which sentence has an understood subject of "You"?**
A) You are my best friend.
B) Please pass the salt.
C) Do you know the answer?
D) He left early.
*Correct Answer: B. "Please pass the salt" is a request/command, so the "You" is hidden.*
**20. Identify the subject: "The smell of fresh cookies filled the room."**
A) The smell of fresh cookies
B) fresh cookies
C) filled the room
D) The smell
*Correct Answer: A. The entire phrase represents the specific "what" that filled the room.*
Every time we speak or write a complete sentence, we are essentially doing two things:
1. We are naming a person, place, or thing.
2. We are saying something *about* that person, place, or thing.
Think of a sentence like a movie. The **Subject** is the star or main character of the movie, and the **Predicate** is the plot or action—what the star is doing or what is happening to them.
---
## 1. The Subject
The **Subject** is the part of the sentence that names who or what the sentence is about. It is usually a noun or a pronoun, and it often comes at the very beginning of the sentence.
* **Example 1:** **Dogs** bark. *(Who is the sentence about? Dogs.)*
* **Example 2:** **The bright yellow sun** shines brightly. *(What is the sentence about? The bright yellow sun.)*
Notice that a subject can be just one word (*Dogs*), or it can be a group of words (*The bright yellow sun*).
## 2. The Predicate
The **Predicate** is the part of the sentence that tells us something about the subject. It contains the **verb** (the action or state of being) and everything else that completes the thought.
* **Example 1:** Dogs **bark loudly at strangers**. *(What do the dogs do? They bark loudly at strangers.)*
* **Example 2:** The bright yellow sun **shines brightly**. *(What does the sun do? It shines brightly.)*
### A Quick Visual Breakdown
| Complete Sentence | Subject (Who/What) | Predicate (Action/Information) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Birds fly. | Birds | fly. |
| My best friend loves pizza. | My best friend | loves pizza. |
| The old clock ticked loudly. | The old clock | ticked loudly. |
---
## 3. Step-by-Step: How to Find the Subject and Predicate
If you are ever confused about how to split a sentence, follow these two simple steps:
1. **Find the Verb:** Look for the action word or the "being" word (is, am, are, was, were).
2. **Ask "Who?" or "What?" before the verb:** The answer is your Subject. Everything else, including the verb, is your Predicate.
> **Let's try it together:** *The little boy ate an apple.*
> * **Step 1:** The verb is *ate*.
> * **Step 2:** Ask, "Who ate?" The answer is *The little boy*.
> * **Result:** Subject = *The little boy* | Predicate = *ate an apple*.
>
>
---
## 4. Important Rules and Exceptions
While the subject usually comes first, English grammar likes to keep us on our toes! Here are two major exceptions you must know.
### Exception A: Inverted Order (Predicate First)
Sometimes, for poetic effect or to add emphasis, a sentence is flipped backward. The predicate comes first, and the subject hides at the end.
* *Normal:* The bus comes here.
* *Inverted:* Here comes **the bus**. *(What comes? The bus. Subject: the bus)*
* *Normal:* The uses of adversity are sweet.
* *Inverted:* Sweet are **the uses of adversity**. *(What is sweet? The uses of adversity. Subject: the uses of adversity)*
### Exception B: Imperative Sentences (Commands/Requests)
When you give an order or make a request, the subject is usually entirely invisible! Because you are speaking directly to someone, the subject **"You"** is understood, even though it isn't written.
* *Sentence:* Sit down.
* *Explanation:* The sentence actually means "(You) sit down." The subject is the hidden word **You**, and the predicate is **sit down**.
* *Sentence:* Thank him.
* *Explanation:* Subject = **(You)** | Predicate = **Thank him**.
---
## 5. Common Mistakes & Tips to Avoid Them
* **Mistake:** Thinking the subject is always just one word.
* *Tip:* The subject includes the main noun AND all the words describing it. In *"The old haunted house on the hill is scary,"* the entire phrase *"The old haunted house on the hill"* is the subject.
* **Mistake:** Including the verb in the subject.
* *Tip:* The verb ALWAYS marks the beginning of the predicate.
* **Mistake:** Forgetting to rearrange inverted sentences.
* *Tip:* Always turn questions and poetic sentences into normal statements first. *"Over the hill ran the dog"* should become *"The dog ran over the hill"* before you look for the subject.
---
## 6. Quick Summary
* **Sentence** = Subject + Predicate.
* **Subject** = The "who" or "what" the sentence is about.
* **Predicate** = What the subject does, or what is said about the subject (always contains the verb).
* **Commands** = The subject is always a hidden "You".
---
## 7. Solutions to the Chapter Exercise
Here are the step-by-step solutions for the original 27 sentences.
| No. | Subject | Predicate | Note / Explanation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | The cackling of geese | saved Rome. | Ask: What saved Rome? |
| 2 | The boy | stood on the burning deck. | Ask: Who stood? |
| 3 | Tubal Cain | was a man of might. | "Was" is the verb. |
| 4 | Stone walls | do not make a prison. | Ask: What do not make a prison? |
| 5 | The singing of the birds | delights us. | "Delights" is the verb. |
| 6 | Miss Kitty | was rude at the table one day. | Ask: Who was rude? |
| 7 | He | has a good memory. | "Has" is the verb. |
| 8 | Bad habits | grow unconsciously. | Ask: What grows? |
| 9 | The earth | revolves round the sun. | Ask: What revolves? |
| 10 | Nature | is the best physician. | "Is" is the verb. |
| 11 | Edison | invented the phonograph. | Ask: Who invented? |
| 12 | The sea | hath many thousand sands. | "Hath" is old English for "has". |
| 13 | We | cannot pump the ocean dry. | Ask: Who cannot pump? |
| 14 | Borrowed garments | never fit well. | Ask: What never fits? |
| 15 | The early bird | catches the worm. | Include "The early" with the bird. |
| 16 | All matter | is indestructible. | Ask: What is indestructible? |
| 17 | Islamabad | is the capital of Pakistan. | Ask: What is the capital? |
| 18 | We | should profit by experience. | "Should profit" is the verb phrase. |
| 19 | All roads | lead to Rome. | Ask: What leads? |
| 20 | A guilty conscience | needs no excuse. | Ask: What needs no excuse? |
| 21 | The beautiful rainbow | soon faded away. | "Faded" is the verb. |
| 22 | No man | can serve two masters. | Include "No" as part of the subject. |
| 23 | A sick room | should be well aired. | Ask: What should be well aired? |
| 24 | The dewdrops | glitter in the sunshine. | Ask: What glitters? |
| 25 | I | shot an arrow into the air. | Ask: Who shot? |
| 26 | the shepherd | hears a barking sound. | **Inverted!** Normal order: The shepherd hears a barking sound. |
| 27 | a hermit | lives on the top of the hill. | **Inverted!** Normal order: A hermit lives on the top of the hill. |
---
## 8. Additional Practice Exercises
Test your understanding with these new challenges. Separate the Subject and Predicate.
1. The angry black dog barked at the mailman.
2. Under the bridge lives an old troll.
3. Please close the window.
4. My mother and father are traveling to Japan.
5. Out of the woods came a giant bear.
### Solutions to Additional Practice:
1. **Subject:** The angry black dog | **Predicate:** barked at the mailman.
2. **Subject:** an old troll | **Predicate:** lives under the bridge. *(Inverted sentence)*
3. **Subject:** (You) | **Predicate:** please close the window. *(Imperative sentence)*
4. **Subject:** My mother and father | **Predicate:** are traveling to Japan. *(Compound subject)*
5. **Subject:** a giant bear | **Predicate:** came out of the woods. *(Inverted sentence)*
---
## 9. Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
**1. What are the two main parts of a sentence?**
A) Noun and Verb
B) Subject and Predicate
C) Subject and Object
D) Adjective and Adverb
*Correct Answer: B. Every complete sentence requires a subject and a predicate to form a complete thought.*
**2. Which part of the sentence names the person or thing we are speaking about?**
A) The Predicate
B) The Verb
C) The Subject
D) The Object
*Correct Answer: C. The subject is the "who" or "what" of the sentence.*
**3. Identify the subject in this sentence: "The tall green trees swayed in the wind."**
A) The tall
B) trees swayed
C) swayed in the wind
D) The tall green trees
*Correct Answer: D. The subject includes the main noun (trees) and all its describing words (The tall green).*
**4. Identify the predicate in this sentence: "My little sister paints beautiful pictures."**
A) My little sister
B) paints beautiful pictures
C) beautiful pictures
D) sister paints
*Correct Answer: B. The predicate starts with the verb (paints) and includes everything that follows.*
**5. Which word is the subject in the sentence: "Up into the sky flew the rocket"?**
A) Up
B) sky
C) flew
D) the rocket
*Correct Answer: D. This is an inverted sentence. If you ask "What flew?", the answer is "the rocket".*
**6. Identify the subject in the sentence: "Wash your hands."**
A) Wash
B) hands
C) your
D) (You)
*Correct Answer: D. This is a command (imperative sentence). The subject is an understood "You".*
**7. In the sentence "A flock of birds flew south for the winter," what is the predicate?**
A) A flock of birds
B) flew south
C) flew south for the winter
D) for the winter
*Correct Answer: C. The predicate starts with the verb "flew" and includes the entire rest of the sentence.*
**8. Which of the following is true about a predicate?**
A) It always comes before the subject.
B) It never contains a verb.
C) It tells something about the subject.
D) It is only one word long.
*Correct Answer: C. The predicate's job is to give information about what the subject is doing or being.*
**9. Identify the subject: "In the middle of the night, the baby started crying."**
A) In the middle
B) of the night
C) the baby
D) started crying
*Correct Answer: C. Even though there is an introductory phrase, the sentence is fundamentally about "the baby".*
**10. Identify the subject: "Listen to me."**
A) Listen
B) to me
C) me
D) (You)
*Correct Answer: D. This is an imperative sentence; you are giving a command to someone, so the subject is "You".*
**11. What is the predicate in: "The dusty old book on the top shelf belongs to my grandfather."**
A) The dusty old book
B) belongs to my grandfather
C) on the top shelf
D) my grandfather
*Correct Answer: B. The verb is "belongs". Everything from the verb onward is the predicate.*
**12. Identify the subject: "There goes my bus!"**
A) There
B) goes
C) my bus
D) my
*Correct Answer: C. This sentence is inverted. Asking "What goes?" gives the answer "my bus".*
**13. In the sentence "Reading books improves your vocabulary," what is the subject?**
A) Reading books
B) improves
C) your vocabulary
D) books improves
*Correct Answer: A. Here, the activity of "Reading books" is the "what" that performs the action of improving.*
**14. True or False: The subject always consists of just one noun or pronoun.**
A) True, subjects cannot be more than one word.
B) False, subjects can include modifiers and be a group of words.
C) True, unless it is an imperative sentence.
D) False, but only in inverted sentences.
*Correct Answer: B. Subjects can be long phrases, such as "The big fluffy dog with the red collar."*
**15. Identify the predicate: "Yesterday, it rained heavily."**
A) Yesterday
B) it
C) rained heavily
D) Yesterday, it
*Correct Answer: C. The subject is "it", and the action it performed was "rained heavily". (Yesterday is an adverbial time marker).*
**16. Identify the subject: "Deep in the cave slept a fierce dragon."**
A) Deep in the cave
B) slept
C) a fierce dragon
D) cave slept
*Correct Answer: C. Inverted sentence. Ask: "Who slept?" The fierce dragon.*
**17. What is the predicate in: "My computer crashed again."**
A) My computer
B) crashed
C) crashed again
D) again
*Correct Answer: C. Starts with the verb "crashed" and includes the adverb "again".*
**18. In the sentence "Both the teacher and the students were happy," what is the subject?**
A) Both the teacher
B) the students
C) were happy
D) Both the teacher and the students
*Correct Answer: D. This is a compound subject; the sentence is about both groups of people.*
**19. Which sentence has an understood subject of "You"?**
A) You are my best friend.
B) Please pass the salt.
C) Do you know the answer?
D) He left early.
*Correct Answer: B. "Please pass the salt" is a request/command, so the "You" is hidden.*
**20. Identify the subject: "The smell of fresh cookies filled the room."**
A) The smell of fresh cookies
B) fresh cookies
C) filled the room
D) The smell
*Correct Answer: A. The entire phrase represents the specific "what" that filled the room.*
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