Subject and predicate

Content

• How to determine which is the subject and which is the predicate?
• Examples of subject and predicate

The subject and the predicate they are the two main syntagmas that make up a sentence from the point of view of its syntax.

Each of these phrases involves a differentiated set of words, united by a series of grammatical relationships and meaning, thus constituting the poles of meaning of every sentence: the referent or who executes an action (subject) and the specific context in which it is does, including the action itself (predicate).

Each of them, in turn, has a nucleus that contains the most important part of the entire phrase.

Both the subject and the predicate have different components:

• Subject: nucleus (noun phrase) + direct modifiers and indirect modifiers
• Predicate: nucleus (verb) + circumstantial

• It can serve you: Sentences with subject and predicate

How to determine which is the subject and which is the predicate?

There are various methods to find the subject and predicate of a sentence, just as there are various conditions in which one or the other may appear.

For example, the tacit subject is one that is not mentioned, but is deductible from the conjugation of the verb. For example: We are late. (Unspoken subject: us)

To find out the subject of a sentence, you can ask yourself the question what? or who? to the verb. For example: The dog barks a lot. Who barks a lot? The dog. In this sentence the subject is "The dog".

To find out what the predicate of the sentence is, you can ask yourself the question what does? For example: The ink leaves stains. What does ink do? Leaves stains. In this sentence the predicate is "leaves spots".

The subject and the predicate are not always in the same position in the sentence. For example: The dog barks a lot. / Stains the ink.

• See also: Sentences with subject, verb and predicate

Examples of subject and predicate

1. The foreign workers have not finished the work yet.
   Subject: Foreign workers
   Predicate: they have not finished the work yet.

1. The work was not yet finished by the foreign workers.
   Subject: The play
   Predicate: it was not yet finished by foreign workers.

1. This Sunday we will go camping in the forest.
   Subject: We (unspoken subject)
   Predicate: This Sunday we will go camping in the forest.

1. Still not finished drinking that beer?
   Subject: You (unspoken subject)
   Predicate: Still not finished drinking that beer?

1. Our guest will be late today.
   Subject: Our guest
   Predicate: will be late today.

1. Luis acknowledged that he had made a serious mistake.
   Subject: Luis
   Predicate: he acknowledged that he had made a serious mistake.

1. The exchange students will arrive tomorrow.
   Subject: exchange students
   Predicate: Tomorrow they will arrive

1. It is raining heavily in the city.
   Subject: Without subject (impersonal verb)
   Predicate: It is raining heavily in the city.

1. There will be a big sale at the corner store.
   Subject: Without subject (impersonal verb)
   Predicate: There will be a big sale at the corner store.

1. Nobody ran as much as I did.
   Subject: No one
   Predicate: ran as much as I did.

1. Antonio, María and Juan are about to leave the baseball game.
   Subject: Antonio, Maria and Juan
   Predicate: they are about to leave the baseball game.

1. Who were those guys over there?
   Subject: those guys over there
   Predicate: Who were

1. My head hurts a lot since yesterday.
   Subject: head
   Predicate: It hurts a lot since yesterday

1. Women were created from a rib from Adam.
   Subject: Women
   Predicate: They were created from a rib from Adam.

1. Nowhere do you eat better than here.
   Subject: Without subject (impersonal form of the verb to eat)
   Predicate: Nowhere do you eat better than here.

1. Why is your mother fighting again?
   Subject: your mother
   Predicate: Why is he fighting again?

1. Aliens lived on the hidden side of the Moon.
   Subject: the aliens
   Predicate: On the dark side of the Moon they lived

1. Venezuela is going through its worst crisis in history.
   Subject: Venezuela
   Predicate: is going through its worst crisis in history.

1. The friends of the boy you met at Juan's party arrived.
   Subject: the friends of the boy you met at Juan's party.
   Predicate: They arrived

1. Today the popular economy project is imposed as a model to follow.
   Subject: the popular economy project.
   Predicate: Today it is imposed as a role model

Did you have any doubts?

• Predicate
• Subject