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, sentence structure, and effective communication.
1. 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.
Examples:
Ravi is reading a book.
The cat is sleeping on the sofa.
Honesty is the best policy.
In the examples above, “Ravi,” “The cat,” and “Honesty” are the subjects. They are the main focus of the sentence.
A subject can be:
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.
2. 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, the predicate describes what the subject is doing or what is happening to the subject.
Examples:
Ravi is reading a book.
The cat is sleeping on the sofa.
Honesty is the best policy.
Here, the parts “is reading a book,” “is sleeping on the sofa,” and “is the best policy” are predicates. They explain what the subject is doing or what the subject is like.
3. How to Identify Subject and Predicate
To identify the subject and predicate in a sentence:
Find the verb first (this is usually in the predicate).
Ask “Who?” or “What?” before the verb — the answer is the subject.
The rest of the sentence (after the subject) is usually the predicate.
Example:
Sentence: 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)
4. Types of Subjects and Predicates
Simple Subject:
The main word (noun/pronoun) that acts as the subject.
Dogs bark loudly.
Complete Subject:
The simple subject along with all its modifiers.
The big brown dogs bark loudly.
Simple Predicate:
The main verb or verb phrase.
The dogs bark.
Complete Predicate:
The verb and all the words related to it.
The dogs bark loudly at strangers.
5. Importance of Subject and Predicate
Understanding subjects and predicates helps you construct clear, grammatically correct sentences.
It improves writing and reading comprehension.
It aids in recognizing sentence errors like fragments or run-ons.
6. Practice Examples
Identify the subject and predicate:
The teacher explains the lesson clearly.
Subject: The teacher
Predicate: explains the lesson clearly
My younger brother loves chocolate ice cream.
Subject: My younger brother
Predicate: loves chocolate ice cream
Birds fly in the sky.
Subject: Birds
Predicate: fly in the sky
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Confusing the object with the subject. (e.g., “Ravi gave me a gift.” — Ravi is the subject, not me.)
Forgetting the verb, resulting in sentence fragments.
Overlooking compound subjects or predicates, e.g., “Ravi and Sita went to the market.” (Compound subject)
In conclusion, every complete sentence in English must have a subject and a predicate. Mastering these two parts forms the foundation for building longer and more complex sentences. As you become more confident identifying them, your grammar and sentence-building skills will greatly improve.