3.8.1
Subject of a Sentence
Identifying the Subject
Identifying the Subject
The subject of a sentence is the noun that is carrying out the main action or the noun that is being affected by the main verb.
Spotting the subject
Spotting the subject
- The subject is usually the first noun in a sentence.
- But the subject is NOT always the first noun in the sentence.
Subject of a sentence example 1
Subject of a sentence example 1
- ‘Peter ran to the shop.’
- 'Peter' is the subject of the sentence because 'Peter' is the noun doing the running.
Subject of a sentence example 2
Subject of a sentence example 2
- ‘After we ate the food, Peter ran to the shop.’
- You may think ‘we’ is the subject as it is the first noun.
- ‘After we ate the food’ is a subordinate clause, not the main clause.
- 'Peter' is still the subject because 'Peter' is the main noun doing the main action in the entire sentence.
The subject as a pronoun
The subject as a pronoun
- The subject of a sentence can be a pronoun.
- E.g. ‘He is going to the shop’ - 'he' is the subject of the sentence.
- E.g. ‘That is a great bag’ - 'that' is the subject of the sentence.
The subject in questions
The subject in questions
- If you ask a question, the subject can be found after the (auxiliary) verb:
- E.g. ‘Where are you going?’ - 'you' is the subject.
- E.g. ‘What fish is that? - 'that' is the subject.
1Spelling
1.1Spelling
1.2Prefixes
1.3Suffixes
1.3.1Vowel Suffixes
1.3.2Short Vowel Suffixes
1.3.3Suffixes: '-ous'
1.3.4Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'
1.3.5Rules for Suffixes: '-ous' 2
1.3.6Suffixes: '-ly'
1.3.7Suffixes: '-ation'
1.3.8Suffixes: '-ation' 2
1.3.9Spelling: '-tion' Endings
1.3.10Spelling: '-sion' Endings
1.3.11Spelling: '-ssion' Endings
1.3.12Spelling: '-cian' Endings
1.3.13End of Topic Test - Prefixes & Suffixes
1.4Making Words Plural
1.5Homophones
1.5.1Accept & Except
1.5.2Affect & Effect
1.5.3Ball & Bawl
1.5.4Berry & Bury
1.5.5Brake & Break
1.5.6Fair & Fare
1.5.7Grate & Great
1.5.8Groan & Grown
1.5.9Hear & Here
1.5.10Heal, Heel & He'll
1.5.11Knot & Not
1.5.12Mail & Male
1.5.13Main & Mane
1.5.14Meat & Meet
1.5.15Medal & Meddle
1.5.16Missed & Mist
1.5.17Peace & Piece
1.5.18Plain & Plane
1.5.19Rain & Reign & Rein
1.5.20Scene & Seen
1.5.21Weather & Whether
1.5.22Whose & Who's
1.5.23End of Topic Test - Homophones
1.6Word Meanings
2Punctuation
2.1Punctuation
2.1.1Full Stops
2.1.2Capital Letters
2.1.3Commas
2.1.4Commas 2
2.1.5Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals
2.1.6Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals
2.1.7Question Marks & Exclamation Marks
2.1.8Brackets
2.1.9Dashes
2.1.10Colon
2.1.11Semi-Colon
2.1.12Direct Speech
2.1.13Indirect Speech
2.1.14Hyphens
2.1.15Ellipses
2.1.16End of Topic Test - Punctuation
2.1.17End of Topic Test - Punctuation 2
2.2Writing Structure
3Grammar
3.1Word Classes
3.3Writing Coherently
3.4Verbs
3.5Modal Verbs
3.6Phrasal Verbs
3.7Subjunctive Verbs
3.8Sentences
3.8.1Subject of a Sentence
3.8.2Object of a Sentence
3.8.3Main & Subordinate Clauses
3.8.4Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences
3.8.5Complex Sentences
3.8.6Relative Clauses
3.8.7Relative Clauses Without Relative Pronouns
3.8.8Participle Clauses
3.8.9Run-on Sentences
3.8.10Sentence Functions
3.8.11End of Topic Test - Sentences
3.9Tenses
3.10Adverbials
3.11Language Techniques
Jump to other topics
1Spelling
1.1Spelling
1.2Prefixes
1.3Suffixes
1.3.1Vowel Suffixes
1.3.2Short Vowel Suffixes
1.3.3Suffixes: '-ous'
1.3.4Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'
1.3.5Rules for Suffixes: '-ous' 2
1.3.6Suffixes: '-ly'
1.3.7Suffixes: '-ation'
1.3.8Suffixes: '-ation' 2
1.3.9Spelling: '-tion' Endings
1.3.10Spelling: '-sion' Endings
1.3.11Spelling: '-ssion' Endings
1.3.12Spelling: '-cian' Endings
1.3.13End of Topic Test - Prefixes & Suffixes
1.4Making Words Plural
1.5Homophones
1.5.1Accept & Except
1.5.2Affect & Effect
1.5.3Ball & Bawl
1.5.4Berry & Bury
1.5.5Brake & Break
1.5.6Fair & Fare
1.5.7Grate & Great
1.5.8Groan & Grown
1.5.9Hear & Here
1.5.10Heal, Heel & He'll
1.5.11Knot & Not
1.5.12Mail & Male
1.5.13Main & Mane
1.5.14Meat & Meet
1.5.15Medal & Meddle
1.5.16Missed & Mist
1.5.17Peace & Piece
1.5.18Plain & Plane
1.5.19Rain & Reign & Rein
1.5.20Scene & Seen
1.5.21Weather & Whether
1.5.22Whose & Who's
1.5.23End of Topic Test - Homophones
1.6Word Meanings
2Punctuation
2.1Punctuation
2.1.1Full Stops
2.1.2Capital Letters
2.1.3Commas
2.1.4Commas 2
2.1.5Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals
2.1.6Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals
2.1.7Question Marks & Exclamation Marks
2.1.8Brackets
2.1.9Dashes
2.1.10Colon
2.1.11Semi-Colon
2.1.12Direct Speech
2.1.13Indirect Speech
2.1.14Hyphens
2.1.15Ellipses
2.1.16End of Topic Test - Punctuation
2.1.17End of Topic Test - Punctuation 2
2.2Writing Structure
3Grammar
3.1Word Classes
3.3Writing Coherently
3.4Verbs
3.5Modal Verbs
3.6Phrasal Verbs
3.7Subjunctive Verbs
3.8Sentences
3.8.1Subject of a Sentence
3.8.2Object of a Sentence
3.8.3Main & Subordinate Clauses
3.8.4Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences
3.8.5Complex Sentences
3.8.6Relative Clauses
3.8.7Relative Clauses Without Relative Pronouns
3.8.8Participle Clauses
3.8.9Run-on Sentences
3.8.10Sentence Functions
3.8.11End of Topic Test - Sentences
3.9Tenses
3.10Adverbials
3.11Language Techniques
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered