1. Chapter One
Subjects and Verbs

2. Subjects and Verbs
The basic building blocks of English sentences are subjects and verbs.
Who or what the sentence speaks about is called the subject.
What the sentence says about the subject is called the verb.

3. Subjects Find the Subject. Who or what is the sentence about?
Friend
. My best friend studies marine biology.
Sharks
. Sharks attack their prey.
. Michael works on a submarine.
Michael

4. #1: What does the subject do?
Verbs
Find the Verb….
There are three ways to find the verb.
#1: What does the subject do?
1. My best friend studies marine biology.
Studies
Attack!
1. Sharks attack their prey.

5. Verbs
Find the Verb….
#2: Put a pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, or they) in front of the word you think is a verb.
If the result
makes sense,
you have
a verb.

6. Verbs
Find the Verb….
#3: Recognize the linking verbs. They do not show action. Instead, they give information.
I am tall.
Bob seems unhappy.

7. Verbs Many verbs consist of more than one word.
The verb often has a “helping” verb.
Mike is writing a report about the great white shark.
We are studying about the jaws and teeth of sharks.

8. Verbs
Notes:
Words like not, just, never, always, and only are NOT part of the verb.
A shark does not sleep.
People have always feared sharks.
When what LOOKS like a verb has a “to” in front of it, it is not a verb.
Sharks like to live in cold water.

9. Verbs
No -ing word by itself is the verb of the sentence. ( It may be part of the verb, but it must have a helping verb in front of it.)
When hunting for sharks, people rarely use the term fishing.
Verb
Not the verb
Michael is hunting for sharks tomorrow..
Verb (with a helper)

10. Compound Subjects and Verbs
A sentence may have more than one verb.
The shark swam and attacked.
A sentence may have more than one subject.
Dolphins and whales have some protection from sharks.

11. Practice My brother expects Subject: brother to go on an important
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
My brother expects
to go on an important
job interview soon.
Subject: brother
Verb: expects

12. Practice He practiced for this interview in an Subject: he
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
He practiced for this
interview in an
interesting way.
Subject: he
Verb: practiced

13. Practice Subject: preparing Verb: was Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
Practice
Subject: preparing
Verb: was
Preparing for an interview
was a very important
part of the process.

14. Relative clause subject:
Practice
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
Bill went on job
interviews for
positions that he did
not really want.
Subject: Bill
Verb: went
Relative clause subject: he
Relative clause verb:
did want

15. Practice Subject: he Now he is more relaxed Verb: is
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
Subject: he
Verb: is
Now he is more relaxed
about meeting with
employers and
answering questions.

16. Practice Appropriate dress is important, too. Subject: dress Verb: is
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
Appropriate dress is
important, too.
Subject: dress
Verb: is

17. Practice Subject: applicants Verbs: wrote / spoke
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
Practice
Subject: applicants
Verbs: wrote / spoke
The job applicants wrote
essays about their values
and spoke in front of a
small group.

18. Practice Subject: Bill Verb: should have researched
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
Practice
Of course, Bill should
have researched the company beforehand.
Subject: Bill
Verb: should have researched

19. Practice A worthy candidate Subject:candidate for a job wants to
Identify the subjects
and verbs in the
following.
A worthy candidate
for a job wants to
give a good impression.
Subject:candidate
Verb: wants