Subject vs Predicate 

Read the following sentences: 

1. An old man is walking alone. 
2. A little girl is walking along with her parents.   
3. A huge giant wheel is erected in the park.  
4. Four teddys are arranged in the showcase of a shop. 
5. People are having fun. 

We always say that a sentence should be framed like this, a sentence should be framed like that, a sentence should be clear. 

What is a sentence? 

What makes a sentence? 

What components does a sentence comprise? 

We use words when we speak or write. But in order to covey what we are saying or writing meaningfully, these words are generally used in groups. 

Read the following groups of words: 

1. He no know do what. 
2. He does not know what to do. 

Here, in the first group, words are arbitrarily arranged, and they do not make much sense. 

But the second group comprises words that are structured coherently, and we are able to make some meaning out of it. 

This is to say that a sentence has to be a group of words that makes complete sense. 

Now, let us define what a sentence is. 

Read the sentence: 

My brother plays soccer. 

Here, we have a group of words from which we are able to gather some meaning and information. A group of words like this, which is complete in itself and which makes complete sense,is called a sentence. 

So that is more or less about sentences. We will have a detailed look at the types of sentences in the upcoming sessions. 

Now, let us have a look at what makes a sentence. 

Read the sentences: 

• Football is an interesting game. 
• Phoebe is an amazing chef. 

In both the sentences that are given, we have a person, Phoebe,or a thing,football,which we talk about, and there is that is spoken about the person or the thing. 

Can you guess which is the person or the thing about which we are talking in both the given sentences? 

In sentence 1, we are speaking about football, and in sentence 2, we are speaking about Phoebe.  

Now, can you give a guess as to what is being spoken about both football and Phoebe in both sentences? 

In sentence 1, we are told that the naming word football is an interesting game. Similarly, in sentence 2, the person Phoebe, as we are informed, is an amazing chef. 

We cannot always go on and keep on saying that we have a person or a thing that we talk about, and we talk something about the person or the thing. Therefore, we should call these components that make a sentence by a name, right? 

So here it goes:

The part of the sentence that names the person or thing that is being talked of is called the subject of the sentence. 

So, in the sentences, football is an interesting game, and Phoebe is an amazing chef, football and Phoebe are the subjects, respectively. 

More examples: 

• The book is very interesting. 
• My car is in the garage. 
• Ryan is preparing pastries. 

The part of the sentence which tells something about the subject is the predicate of the sentence. 

So, in the sentences, football is an interesting game and Phoebe is an amazing chef, given earlier, the entire part that follows the subjects are the predicates. 

More examples: 

• The book is very interesting. 
• My car is in the garage. 
• Ryan is preparing pastries. 

If you look at the given sentences, you will be able to see that the subjects have preceded the predicates. In most cases, the subject of a sentence usually comes first and is followed by the predicate.  

Some instances where this formula is not followed would be: 

• Here comes the bus. 
• There she goes. 
• Sweet are the uses of adversity.