SubjectsChapter 3, pg 34

A group of words that contains a subject and a verb and also expresses a complete thought.

Complete sentence

The subject answers “Who or what is the sentence about?”

Usually occurs early in the sentence

Usually a noun (person/place/thing/idea) or pronoun (replaces a noun)

Subject CAN be modified by adjectives.

The subject of a sentence can be compound.

Finding the Subject

1. The gym seemed noisier than usual.

2. Our coach was shouting last-minute

instructions.

3. He expected total concentration.

4. Three athletes were doing push-ups.

5. People were beginning to fill the bleachers.

“Practice,” pg 35

Finding Nouns – ways to categorize

•ConcreteName things we can

see or touch• Face• People• Jewelry

Abstract Things we cannot see or touch

LonelinessPatriotismBeauty

Common◦ Name general things

(not capitalized) aunt country watch

Proper◦ Name particular persons,

places, or things (caps) Aunt Meriam Nigeria Timex

1. The morning of June 27 was sunny and

clear.

2. The flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.

3. The people of the village began to gather in the square

4. The lottery was conducted by Mr. Sommers.

5. The jovial man had time and energy to devote to civic activities.

“Practice,” pg 36

Replace the underlined word(s) with a pronoun. “Practice, pg 36-37)

1. The crowd arrived early.2. The gym was noisy.3. People waited eagerly.4. Coach Ann Bradway had not lost a game…5. Steven and I found the best seats in the

front row.6. Not one person could predict the outcome.

Pronouns take the place of nouns (pg 36)

They arrived earlyIt was noisy.

They waited eagerly.She had not lost a game yet this season.We found the best seats in the front row.No one could predict the outcome. Nobody could predict the outcome.

You CAN have more than one subject!◦ Made up of two or more nouns or pronouns

Joined with and/or, either/or, neither/nor

Compound Subject

1. The road twisted and turned.

2. A young boy hurried along briskly.

3. He carried an important message.

4. A red-winged blackbird flew overhead.

5. Dark clouds and a sudden wind surprised

him.

Exercise 2, pg 39

6. His family would be elated.

7. Someone was raking the leaves.

8. His father called out his name.

9. The old man tore open the envelope.

10. The message was brief.

Exercise 2, pg 39-40

Prepositions tell where or how.

The subject is NEVER found within the prepositional phrase.

Prepositional Phrases (pg 41)

Common Prepositions (pg 41)

about behind except onto toward into near

above below for out under of like

across beneath from outside into on within

after beside in over unlike at with

against between

Inside Past until as to

Cross out the prepositional phrase, then underline the subject.

1. On Friday, January 27, 2006, Western Union sent its last telegram.

2. With the ascendancy of modern technology, the telegram is no longer needed.

3. In 1851 in Rochester, New York, Western Union had its beginnings.

Exercise 7 pgs 42-43

On Friday, January 27, 2006, Western Union sent its last telegram.

With the ascendancy of modern technology, the telegram is no longer needed.In 1851 in Rochester, New York, Western Union had its beginnings.

Cross out the prepositional phrase, then underline the subject.

4. Messages were transmitted by Morse code over the wires and delivered by couriers.

5. Eventually, telegraph service drove the pony express out of business.

6. Until the emergence of the telegraph, the average delivery time for a message by pony express took ten days.

Exercise 7 pgs 42-43

Messages were transmitted by Morse code over the wires and delivered by couriers.

Eventually, telegraph service drove the pony express out of business.

Until the emergence of the telegraph, the average delivery time for a message by pony express took ten days

Appositive Phrases Appositive phrases are a group of words

that give us extra information about a noun or pronoun in that sentence.

Appositive phrases are set off by commas

The subject is NEVER found within the appositive phrase.

Martin Johnson, the retired salesperson, sat at his desk.

______________________________appositive phrase

Why is he going away?

Put questions in statement form so that it is easier to identify the complete verb phrase.

Why is he going away? He is going away. How did he find his sister in the city?

◦ He found his sister by…

Where is her office?◦ Her office is…

Questions – Change in Subject position pg 44

subt

Verb

Verb

Verb

Verb

“here” “where” and “there” will never be the subject of the sentence. (they are adverbs)

Ex. There will be a quiz on Tuesday.

There is a new teacher in the department.

Here comes the woman now.

There and HERE (pg 44)

Subj.

subject

Verb

V

Verbsubject

The quiz will be on Tuesday Subj verb

The teacher is new in the department. Subj verb

The woman comes here now. Subj verb

Remember that the subject of a “command” sentence is “you” (understood). This is the ONLY case where the subject of a sentence may be left out.

Go to Chicago.

Help your sister.

Commands (pg 44)

You

subVerb

You

subVerb

Cross out the prepositional phrase, then underline the subject.

1. In the night train, the child slept.

2. Here, the motion of the railroad cars lulled the passengers.

3. The child’s mother, a single parent, put a coat under the child’s head for a pillow.

Exercise 8 pg 45

In the night train, the child slept.

Here the motion of the railroad cars lulled the passengers.

The child’s mother, a single parent, put a coat under the child’s head for a pillow.

4. Outside the window, the lights from small towns and villages twinkled.

5. Sometimes passengers could look into people’s windows.

6. There was a silence in the train.

7. Why do people travel in the middle of the night?

Exercise 8 pg 45

Outside the window, the lights from small towns and villages twinkled.

Sometimes passengers could look into people’s windows.

There was a silence in the train.

Why do people travel in the middle of the night.

8. In most cases, children will rest quietly at night.

9. Will the woman with a young child and heavy suitcases have a difficult time at the end of the trip?

10. On the platform waits an elderly man, anxious for the first sight of his grandson.

Exercise 8 pg 45

In most cases, children will rest quietly at night.

Will the woman with a young child and heavy suitcases have a difficult time at the end of the trip?

On the platform waits an elderly man, anxious for the first sight of his grandson.

Verbs tell time

◦ Test the sentence by adding Today, Yesterday, or tomorrow.

◦ Today she dances.◦ Yesterday she

danced.◦ Tomorrow she will

dance.

How to Find the Verb pg 47

Tells what the subject is doing and when the action occurs.

◦ Examples: Arrive, leave, learn,

write, open, write, teach(pg 48)

◦ The woman studied ballet.

Action Verbs

Links the subject of a sentence to one or more words that describe or identify the subject.

◦ Examples: (see pg 49) Act, appear, become,

feel, get, grow, look, remain, seems, smells, sounds, tastes, turns

Be (am, is, are, was, were, has been, have been)

◦ She seems distracted

Linking Verbs

Combines with a main verb to form a verb phrase. It always comes before the main verb and expresses a special meaning or a particular time.

◦ Examples: (see pg 51) Can, could, may, might,

must, shall, should, will Being, been, am, is,

was, are, were Has, have, had Does, do, did

◦ He is sleeping◦ He might sleep◦ He should sleep. ◦ He could have been

sleeping.

Helping Verbs

Identify the VERB in the sentence—either the “action” verb or “linking” verb. The subject will be the person, place, or thing (noun or pronoun) performing the action—or the noun that “is.”

s v Ex. Ms. Antill wrote this hints sheet

for you. s v She is sure of its benefit.

Identify

Remember that the “infinitive form” of the verb (to + verb) will never be the verb of the sentence.

s v v Ex. You do want to study.

“To + Verb”