Parts of the Sentence

Simple Subjects and Simple Predicates

Simple Subject 1. The simple subject is the one noun (person, place, thing or idea) or pronoun (she, he, it, this, etc.) that shows exactly who or what the sentence is about. Example: High school requires more time management skills than middle school. Practice: Circle the simple subject in the following sentence: Scholarly, enthusiastic students always enjoy my class.

Simple Predicate The simple predicate is the verb (action or state of being word) that tells us something about the subject. Example: Those trucks carry produce to the city. Practice: Write one sentence in the space provided about your first week at Saint Mary’s. Circle the simple predicate in your sentence.

Complete Subjects and Complete Predicates

Complete Subject The complete subject is all of the words that tell who or what the sentence is about. Example: Every student in this room right now should learn about subjects and predicates.

Complete Predicate The complete predicate is all the words that tell something about the subject of the sentence. Example: The big, hungry, green, hairy alien grabbed a student from the back row.

Complete Subject and Predicate Practice Practice: Underline the complete subject in the following sentence in pink. Circle the complete predicate. Scholarly, enthusiastic students always enjoy my class.

Independent and Dependent Clauses

Independent Clause An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause can stand as a sentence all by itself. An independent clause is a complete sentence.

Dependent Clause A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot stand as a sentence all by itself. Dependent clauses often begin with conjunctions or prepositions.

Dependent Clause Markers The words below are sometimes called “weakening words” because they can prevent a clause from standing on its own when placed at the beginning: after unless although even though until as how when because if whenever before in order to wherever despite once whether even if since which though while

Dependent Clause Examples Example 1: After the students went into the classroom Example 2: While they learned a new concept What are the “weakening words” in these dependent clauses? Why can’t these clauses stand by themselves?