I. Introduction
In English grammar, the subject is a fundamental concept that plays a crucial role in constructing meaningful sentences. It is the part of a sentence that typically indicates what or whom the sentence is about. Understanding the subject is essential for proper sentence formation, verb agreement, and overall clarity of communication.
II. Definition of a Subject
A subject is the noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that performs the action of the verb in a sentence or about which something is being said. It answers the question “Who?” or “What?” in relation to the verb.
Examples:
- Noun as a subject: “The dog chased the cat.” Here, “dog” is the subject as it is the entity performing the action of “chasing.”
- Pronoun as a subject: “She sings beautifully.” In this sentence, “she” is the subject, which is a pronoun referring to a specific person.
- Noun phrase as a subject: “The big, brown bear in the forest hibernates during winter.” The noun phrase “The big, brown bear in the forest” is the subject.
III. Types of Subjects
A. Simple Subjects
A simple subject is the main noun or pronoun in a subject. It does not include any modifiers.
Examples:
- In the sentence “The tall man walked down the street,” the simple subject is “man.”
- For the sentence “They played football in the park,” the simple subject is “they.”
B. Complete Subjects
A complete subject includes the simple subject along with all its modifiers. Modifiers can be adjectives, articles, prepositional phrases, etc., that provide more details about the subject.
Examples:
- In the sentence “The old, rusty car in the garage needs a repair,” the complete subject is “The old, rusty car in the garage.”
- For the sentence “The students from the advanced class presented their project,” the complete subject is “The students from the advanced class.”
C. Compound Subjects
A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by coordinating conjunctions such as “and,” “or,” or “nor.”
Examples:
- “Tom and Jerry are best friends.” Here, “Tom” and “Jerry” form a compound subject.
- “Either the boys or the girls will win the competition.” In this case, “the boys” and “the girls” are the elements of the compound subject.
IV. Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number. This means that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
A. Singular Subjects
Singular subjects, such as a single noun or a singular pronoun, require a singular verb form.
Examples:
- “The cat sleeps on the mat.” (The singular subject “cat” takes the singular verb “sleeps.”)
- “He runs every morning.” (The singular pronoun “he” is paired with the singular verb “runs.”)
B. Plural Subjects
Plural subjects, like plural nouns or plural pronouns, need a plural verb form.
Examples:
- “The dogs bark at night.” (The plural subject “dogs” takes the plural verb “bark.”)
- “They play basketball on weekends.” (The plural pronoun “they” is used with the plural verb “play.”)
C. Special Cases of Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Indefinite Pronouns
Some indefinite pronouns are always singular (e.g., anyone, anybody, each, either, neither), while others are always plural (e.g., both, many, several). Some can be either singular or plural depending on the context (e.g., all, some).
- “Everyone has to bring their own lunch.” (Although “everyone” is singular, in informal usage, “their” is sometimes used instead of the more formal “his or her.”)
- “Both of the boys are good at math.” (The plural indefinite pronoun “both” takes the plural verb “are.”)
2. Collective Nouns
Collective nouns refer to a group of people or things. They can be treated as singular or plural depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit or the individuals within the group are acting separately.
- “The team is playing well this season.” (Here, the team is considered as a single unit, so the singular verb “is” is used.)
- “The team are arguing among themselves.” (In this case, the focus is on the individual members of the team, so the plural verb “are” is appropriate.)
V. Finding the Subject in Different Sentence Structures
A. Simple Sentences
In a simple sentence, the subject usually comes before the verb.
Example:
- “Birds fly.” The subject “birds” is before the verb “fly.”
B. Sentences with Inverted Word Order
In some cases, the normal word order of subject-verb may be inverted for emphasis or in certain sentence types like questions.
Examples:
- Question: “Are you coming to the party?” Here, the subject “you” comes after the verb “are” because of the interrogative structure.
- Emphasis: “Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset.” The subject “I” follows the auxiliary verb “have” for emphasis.
C. Sentences with Phrases and Clauses
When a sentence contains phrases or clauses, it’s important to identify the main subject that relates to the main verb.
Example:
- “After finishing his homework, John went to bed.” The phrase “After finishing his homework” is a prepositional phrase modifying the action. The subject of the main clause is “John,” and the main verb is “went.”
VI. Importance of a Clear Subject
A clear subject is essential for effective communication. It helps the reader or listener understand who or what the sentence is about, making the message more precise and easier to follow. Ambiguous or unclear subjects can lead to confusion.
Example of Unclear Subject:
- “Running down the street, the trees looked beautiful.” This sentence is unclear because it seems as if the trees are running down the street. A better construction would be: “While running down the street, I saw that the trees looked beautiful.” Here, the subject “I” is clearly established.
VII. Conclusion
The subject is a vital element of English grammar. Understanding its different types, how it agrees with the verb, and how to identify it in various sentence structures is crucial for constructing grammatically correct and meaningful sentences. By paying attention to the subject, you can improve the clarity and effectiveness of your communication in English.