1. Subjects and Predicates
If grammar lessons were holidays, today would be Christmas!

2. Complete Subjects and Predicates
A sentence is a group of words with two main parts: a complete subject and a complete predicate. Together, these parts express a complete thought.

3. Complete Subjects and Predicates
The example sentences below show the two main parts of three complete sentences. In each sentence, the complete subject is in black boldface and includes a noun or pronoun that names the person, place, or thing that the sentence is about. Each complete predicate is italicized and includes a verb that tells something about the complete subject.
1. Several pilots from various countries have vanished in or near the Bermuda Triangle.
2. The Bermuda Triangle, the area in question, lies between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico.
3. The U.S.S. Cyclops disappeared there in 1918.

4. Complete Subjects and Predicates
Take Note: The complete subject or complete predicate can consist of several words or just one word.
Examples:
1. He read about many different careers.
2. The nurse in the white uniform arrived.

5. Give it a shot!
In each of the following sentences, underline the complete subject and circle the complete predicate:
Nurses teach preventive care and rehabilitation.
Most nurses work in hospitals.
Other nurses provide their services in health agencies, nursing homes, offices, schools, and industries.
Nurses can be educators, administrators, or supervisors.
Most nursing was done at home in the nineteenth century.

6. Simple Subjects and Predicates
The simple subject is the essential noun, pronoun, or group of words acting as a noun that cannot be left out of the complete subject. The simple predicate is the essential verb phrase that cannot be left out of the complete predicate.

7. Simple Subjects and Predicates
In the following examples, notice that all the other words in the complete subject add details to the simple subject. Similarly, all of the other words in the complete predicate either modify the simple predicate or help it complete the meaning of the sentence:
1. Two of his friends studied law enforcement.
2. Sick in bed, she had missed her job interview.

8. Give it a shot!
In the following sentences, draw a vertical line between the complete subject and complete predicate. Next, underline the simple subject and circle the simple predicate.
The police are government agents.
They protect citizens from unlawful acts.
The U.S. police establishment operates at several levels.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the largest and most important department.
Two other federal departments are the Secret Service and the Customs Service.