Subject and Predicate
Subject and Predicate :
A sentence mainly consists of two parts. Here are six examples in which the two parts of each sentence are marked off.
1. My brother / works in a bank.
2. The train / arrived late.
3. An old man / was standing in the street.
4. This / is my uncle!
5. Ramesh, speaks English well.
6. The climate of Bangalore / is pleasant.
In 1, the first part (My brother) names the person about whom something is being said. The second part (works in a bank) says something about the person named in the first part.
In 2, the first part (The train) names the thing about which something is being said. The second part (arrived late) says something about the thing named in the first part. And so on.
The first part is called the subject. The second part is called the predicate.
The subject names the person or thing about which something is being said.
The predicate says something about the person or thing named by the subject.
To frame a sentence, you must….
(i) name the person or thing you are speaking about (SUBJECT for the sentence).
(ii) say something about the person or thing (PREDICATE for your sentence).
The word or words denoting the person or thing about which something is said are called the Subject of the sentence.
A ship went out to sea.
The word or words which say something about the person or thing denoted by the Subject, as went out are called the Predicate.
However long a sentence may be, it can always be divided into the same two parts as the shortest sentence.
Fire burns.
In this sentence…
SUBJECT : Fire
PREDICATE : burns
A fierce fire burnt down my house.
In this sentence…
SUBJECT : A fierce fire
PREDICATE : burnt down my house
A fierce fire which broke out yesterday afternoon completely burnt down my house and many others in the same street.
In this sentence…
SUBJECT : A fierce fire which broke out yesterday afternoon
PREDICATE : completely burnt down my house and many others in the same street
Subject may be understood, as in 'Go away!' and in almost all other Imperative Sentences.
Go away.
In this sentence…
SUBJECT : You
PREDICATE : go away
Thank you. [Here the Subject I is understood.]
Come here. [Here the Subject You is understood.]
In the following sentences (Exclamations) the Subject and also part of the Predicate are understood
Shocking! (=It is shocking.)
Well done! (=That was well done.)
No more of that! (=Let us have no more of that.)
The following sentences have both Subject and Predicate.
Long live the Queen!
The earth moves round the sun.
Is he a coward?
How foolish I have been!
What a beautiful night!
Don't make a noise.
Sweet are the uses of adversity.
Forgive me, father.
A barking sound the shepherd hears.
Great was their joy.
Subject and Predicate :
The Sentences Index
