Identify the complete subject of a sentence

key notes:

What is the Complete Subject?

  • Definition: The complete subject of a sentence includes all the words that tell who or what the sentence is about.
  • It contains the main noun (the person, place, or thing the sentence is talking about) and any descriptive words (adjectives or articles) that go with it.

Parts of a Sentence

A sentence is usually divided into two main parts:

  • Subject: Who or what the sentence is about.
  • Predicate: What the subject does or is (the action or state).

Complete Subject vs. Simple Subject

  • Complete Subject: Includes the simple subject (main noun) and all the words that describe it. Example:
  • The big, brown dog barked loudly.
    • Complete subject: “The big, brown dog”
    • Simple subject: “dog”
  • Simple Subject: The main word in the complete subject (usually a noun or pronoun). Example:
  • All of my friends are playing soccer.
    • Complete subject: “All of my friends”
    • Simple subject: “friends”

How to Find the Complete Subject

  1. Ask “Who” or “What” the sentence is about.
  • Example:
    • The little girl with the red hat is singing.
    • Who is singing? → The little girl with the red hat (This is the complete subject.)
  1. Look for Descriptive Words:
  • Example:
    • The tall tree in the park swayed in the wind.
    • What swayed? → The tall tree in the park (This is the complete subject.)

Examples of Complete Subjects:

  • The cat on the windowsill is sleeping.
  1. Complete subject: “The cat on the windowsill”
  • My best friend is coming over for dinner.
  1. Complete subject: “My best friend”
  • The three little birds are singing in the tree.
  1. Complete subject: “The three little birds”
  • Our school’s soccer team won the match.
  1. Complete subject: “Our school’s soccer team”

Practice Exercise for Self-Study:

Identify the complete subject in these sentences:

  1. The bright yellow bus arrived at the school.
  2. My mom and dad are going to the store.
  3. The delicious chocolate cake is on the table.
  4. Some of the kids from my class are playing on the swings.

Let’s try some problems! ✍️