Grammar: Identifying Subjects and Verbs

Basics about Subjects

• Every sentence must have a subject.
• The subject of a sentence is “who” or “what” does the action.
• The subject is always a noun (person, place, thing or idea).
• To find the subject in a sentence, ask yourself: Who or what is doing the action in this sentence?

Gloria writes the answers on the board.

In this sentence, who is doing the action? Gloria is the subject because is doing the action.

The subject could also be a pronoun, such as, she, he, I, we.

She writes the answers on the board.

PRACTICE: Circle the subject in the following sentences:

1. The people applauded.
2. This book inspires me.
3. At noon my journey began.
4. My aunt Judy was a math teacher.
5. He knows how to fly a plane.
6. This semester, I’m working hard.
7. In case of fire, you should run to the nearest exit.
8. This thing is broken.
9. Where are my keys?
10. The door won’t open.

Basics about Verbs

• Every sentence must have a verb.
• Verbs express the action of the sentence.  
• Verbs say what the subject is doing.
• To find the verb in a sentence, ask yourself: What is the subject doing in this sentence? What is the main action of this sentence?

Gloria writes the answers on the board.

What is the subject doing in this sentence?

The subject is Gloria. What is she doing? Writing.
“Writes” is the verb in this sentence.

What is the main action in the sentence?

The main action is “writes.”
“Writes” is the verb in this sentence.

High Action Verbs

Some verbs have a lot of action, like jump, shout, catch, write, climb.  Add a few more HIGH ACTION VERBS:

Low Action Verbs

Some verbs do not show a lot of action, like is, are, were, has, have, had, believe, think. Add a few more LOW-ACTION VERBS:

PRACTICE: Turn to the Practice on the previous page.

You have already identified the subject.

Draw two lines under the verbs in each sentence.

Identifying Subjects and Verbs

PRACTICE: Circle the subject and draw two lines under the verbs in these sentences:

1. My aunt Judy was a math teacher.
2. I have a piece of gum in my pocket.
3. In the trunk of their car, they had a suitcase full of money.
4. In the summer, she’s always at the beach.
5. The article reports an increasing rate of citizens who vote in the national elections.
   
6. She looked like she had been up all night.
7. Puppies will chew anything: old shoes, dirty socks, glossy magazines.
8. During my sister’s graduation, we all sat outside in the miserable heat.
9. On my birthday, my boss and co-workers made a point of being nice.
10. During the civil war, women disguised themselves as men and went to battle.        
11. The laces on these shoes never stay tied.
12. Exercise reduces stress.
13. At night, my cat sleeps under my bed.
14. Hoping to find a good restaurant, we walked in circles for hours.
15. In the article, the author states that laughing is good for our health.
16. Many people believe they are leaders, not followers.