Subject and Verb Identification:Notes and Practice

ELA 7 2014-15

It’s Magic!Follow these four steps to identify the simple subject and simple predicate (verb) in any sentence.

1. Eliminate

2. Identify Predicate (verb)

3. Identify Subject

4. Test

STEP 1: Eliminate

Reduce the sentence to its most basic parts by eliminating the following extra bits of information:

introductory, interrupting, and ending words, clauses, and phrases

“to __” phrases

“of __” phrases

“here” and “there”

Caution: Reread your reduced sentence. Is it a complete thought?If not, you eliminated the simple subject and/or simple predicate (verb). Try again!

The simple subject and simple predicate will never be part of an introductory, interrupting, and/or ending word, phrase, or clause.

Step 1: Eliminate

Step 2: Identify Predicate (verb)

STEP 2: Identify Predicate

Identify the main predicate (verb) in the reduced sentence. It will either show action or will be a linking verb, which connects the subject to additional information about it.

Action

Linking

Step 3: Identify Subject

STEP 3: Identify Subject

Determine if the sentence is an imperative sentence (command). If so, the subject will always be understood (you).

Ask yourself Who? or What? is performing the action or being linked to something else.

Step 4: Test

STEP 4: Test

Write the subject and verb you identified.

Read them together.

Determine if you have a complete thought (even if it is an underdeveloped sentence).

___________________ ___________________ = complete

subject predicate (verb) thought?

Yes, I still have a complete thought. I did it!!

No, this is not a complete thought. Try again.

Let’s look at one together.Identify the simple subject and simple predicate in the sentence below by applying the four steps outlined.

In the summer, there were four people in my neighborhood who wanted to sell their houses.

Now, we apply each step.

Step 1: EliminateReduce the sentence to its most basic parts by eliminating the following extra bits of information:

introductory, interrupting, and ending words, clauses, and phrases “to __” phrases “of __” phrases “here” and “there”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Work: introductory phrase ending clause

In the summer, there were four people in my neighborhood who wanted to sell their houses.

Reduced sentence:

There were four people in my neighborhood.

Check:Is this reduced sentence still a complete thought? Yes! Keep going.

Step 1: EliminateReduce the sentence to its most basic parts by eliminating the following extra bits of information:

introductory, interrupting, and ending words, clauses, and phrases “to __” phrases “of __” phrases “here” and “there”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Work: introductory phrase ending clause

In the summer, there were four people in my neighborhood who wanted to sell their houses.

Reduced sentence:There were four people in my neighborhood.

There are no “to __ “ or “of __ “ phrases in this reduced sentence. “To sell” was eliminated as part of the ending clause.

Check:Is this reduced sentence still a complete thought? Yes! Keep going.

Step 1: EliminateReduce the sentence to its most basic parts by eliminating the following extra bits of information:

introductory, interrupting, and ending words, clauses, and phrases “to __” phrases “of __” phrases “here” and “there”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Work: introductory phrase ending clause

In the summer, there were four people in my neighborhood who wanted to sell their houses.

Reduced sentence:There were four people in my neighborhood.

New reduced (and reworded sentence):Four people were in my neighborhood.

Check:Is this reduced sentence still a complete thought? Yes! Move to Step 2.

STEP 2: Identify Predicate

Identify the main predicate (verb) in the reduced sentence. It will either show action or will be a linking verb, which connects the subject to additional information about it.

Action

Linking

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Work:

introductory phrase ending clause

In the summer, there were four people in my neighborhood who wanted to sell their houses.

There were four people in my neighborhood.

Four people were in my neighborhood. Action

✔Linking

‘Were’ is a linking verb (and also a state of being verb).Move to Step 3.

STEP 3: Identify Subject Determine if the sentence is an imperative sentence (command).

If so, the subject will always be understood (you).Ask yourself Who? or What? Is performing the action or being linked to

something else.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Work:

introductory phrase ending clause

In the summer, there were four people in my neighborhood who wanted to sell their houses.

There were four people in my neighborhood.

Four people were in my neighborhood. ✔ Linking verb: were

Who were? What were? People were. ✔ Subject: people

Four people were in my neighborhood.

Move to Step 4.

STEP 4: Test Write the subject and verb you identified. Read them together. Determine if you have a complete thought (even if it is an underdeveloped

sentence).___________________ ___________________ = complete Yes (you’re done!)

  subject predicate (verb) thought? No (try again)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Work:

introductory phrase ending clause

In the summer, there were four people in my neighborhood who wanted to sell their houses.

There were four people in my neighborhood.

Four people were in my neighborhood.

____people___ ____were___ = complete Yes (you’re done!)

  subject predicate (verb) thought? No (try again)