Subject

By Matthew, 4 November 2008 - 1:07pm
5
 
 
Grammar name (English): 
Subject

It is important to know what is the subject of the sentence. The subject is what we are talking about. This grammar point explains subjects and gives examples of different kinds of subject.

Many students learn

S.V.O.

 

S is the subject. The subject is the doer of the verb, V. The object of the verb, O, is the goal or receiver of the action.

Jeremy saw a rat.
The brothers laughed at the joke.
Brazil will win the World Cup.
Did you watch the race?

 

The subject must be a noun or something like a noun. Below are some examples of different subjects. If you are not sure about the names of the subjects, you can ignore them. They are not important:

Bare Noun Phrase
  1. School is important.
  2. War is not the answer.
  3. Love conquers all.
Determiner Phrase
  1. The answer is on the back.
  2. My feet smell bad!
  3. This one is mine.
Gerund
  1. Looking at a computer screen for a long time gives me a headache.
  2. Smoking is bad for you.
  3. Shopping is therapeutic.
Infinitive
  1. To cook is a pleasure.
  2. To clean is a chore.
  3. To go and come back takes about an hour.
Clause
  1. Where he goes is his business.
  2. Where I live is Japan.
  3. How it can cost so much is beyond me.
Implied Subject
  1. Do it!
  2. Fasten your seatbelts.
  3. Stop!
Expletive
  1. There are some apples on the table.
  2. It has rained all day.
  3. It is important to be polite.
Cataphoric
  1. It is not surprising that he speaks well.
  2. It is great how well he speaks.
  3. It is amazing how much you can see when you get out of the city.
Notes: 
  1. The ideas of subject / agent / actor are complicated. This is a simple explanation for the purposes of studying English.
  2. If you understand the idea of a subject and can find it in a sentence, it will help you with complex sentence patterns and grammar points.
  3. In the case of a passive, the object is what we are talking about and so comes first in the sentence.