1. John Langan & Janet M. Goldstein
English Brushup
John Langan & Janet M. Goldstein

2. Subjects & Verbs
The subject of a sentence is the person, thing, or idea that the sentence is about.
The verb explains what the sentence says about the subject.

3. Subjects & Verbs The ________ accidentally ________ on the floor.
My _______ often ________ at the mail man.
A _______ in the corner _________ loudly to the waitress.
_______ should never have _________ to study all night for the test.

4. Subjects & Verbs
The subject of a sentence will always be a noun or a pronoun.
The subject will never be part of a prepositional phrase.
Prepositional phrases answer “Which one?” “What kind?” “How?” “Where?” or “When?”
About around above at across after along among before behind below beneath beside between by down during except for from in into inside like of off on over through to toward under until up upon with without

5. School House Rock
Busy Prepositions

6. Find the Prepositional Phrases
The vase on the bedside table belonged to my grandparents.
With smiles or frowns, students left the exam room.
The noise during the thunderstorm was frightening.

7. Types of Verbs Action, Linking, and Helping Verbs
Most verbs show action (action verbs)
tripped, owns, squeal, ran, jumped, ate
Some verbs join the subject to something that is said about the subject (linking verbs)
is, am, are, was, were, look, feel, sound, appear, seem, become
Sometimes there is a main verb and a helping verb
do, have, may, would, were, can, could, should

8. Confusing words
Although words like not, just, never, only, and always may appear between the main verb and the helping verb, they are never part of the verb.
Ellen might not make the basketball team this year.
You should always count the change the cashier gives you.
That instructor can never end her class on time.

9. More Confusion The verb of a sentence never comes after the word to.
Sal chose to live with his parents during college.
Although live is a verb, to live cannot be the verb of a sentence.
A word ending in –ing cannot by itself be the verb of the sentence. It can be part of the verb, but it needs a helping verb before it.
The strikers were hoping for a quick settlement.
You could not correctly say, “The strikers hoping for a quick settlement.”

10. Cross out the prepositional phrases Circle the subject Underline the verb
My brother plays computer games until well past midnight.
With a satisfied grunt, Darnell lifted the hundred-pound barbell over his head.
Without a doubt, Ramon will win the race.
Some students have had a terrible case of the flu for two weeks.
The stars in the cloudless sky seem especially bright tonight.
That freshly baked apple pie on the kitchen counter smells heavenly.

11. The tree in our backyard looks dead.
It always relaxes me to walk along the path around the lake.
My roommate has been sending romantic s to her new boyfriend during computer lab.
In all his career, Simon has never missed one day of work.
The quartz battery in my watch did not need to be replaced for a period of three years.
From my bedroom window, I can watch all the games on the high school football field.
The service agreement for the copying machine covers the cost of any kind of breakdown, regardless of the number of the copies.