Subject and Predicate: Definition, Examples and Usage

Have you ever wondered how sentences are formed? Every sentence has two parts: the subject and the predicate. The subject tells us who or what the sentence is about, while the predicate tells us what the subject does or what happens to it. In this guide, you will learn what a subject and a predicate are, with examples and steps to identify them in a sentence.

Table of Contents

• What is a Subject?
• What is a Predicate?
• Subject and Predicate Examples
• How to Identify Subject and Predicate
• Subject and Predicate Exercises

What is a Subject?

One of the important parts of a sentence is the subject. It is used to tell who or what the sentence is about and is usually the doer of the action. A subject can be a noun, a pronoun, a noun phrase, or even a gerund (a gerund is the verb ending in -ing; it acts as a noun). Mostly, a sentence starts with a subject, but in some cases it can start with an adjective. A sentence can have more than one subject. The different types of subjects are simple, compound, and noun phrases subject. For example, in the sentence “Riya is playing,” Riya is the subject as she is the doer of the action.

What is a Predicate?

The predicate is a part of a sentence that describes what the subject does or what happens to the subject. It contains a verb, which shows the action or state of being, and it may also include objects, complements, or additional details like time and place. Predicates can be of different types, such as a simple predicate, a complete predicate, and a compound predicate. For example, in the sentence “The dog barked loudly,” barked loudly is the predicate because it explains what the dog is doing.

Subject and Predicate Examples 

A sentence has both a subject and a predicate; the subject is who or what the sentence is about, whereas the predicate is what the subject does or what happens. Here are some examples: 

Examples of Subjects:

• The little boy is playing outside.

• An old tree stands near the river.

• My sister loves painting.

• The bright stars shine at night.

• A group of children is singing songs.

• The blue bicycle is very fast.

• Our teacher explained the topic well.

• The stray dog followed me home.

• A beautiful bird sat on the branch.

• The heavy rain flooded the streets.

• His parents are visiting tomorrow.

• The smart student answered quickly.

• A tiny kitten is hiding under the table.

• The tall mountains look amazing.

• My favourite book is on the shelf.

Examples of Predicates:

• The baby is laughing happily.

• The players are practising for the match.

• The train arrived late at night.

• She is learning classical dance.

• The children built a sandcastle.

• The sun set behind the hills.

• He finished his homework early.

• The birds chirped in the morning.

• The teacher checked all the notebooks.

• We watched a movie yesterday.

• The wind blew strongly all evening.  

• The chef prepared a delicious meal.

• The car stopped suddenly on the road.

• They celebrated the festival joyfully.

• The leaves fell from the trees.
  
  

How to Identify Subject and Predicate

Follow these simple steps to identify the subject and predicate in a sentence:

• Find the verb (action or state of being)
  Example: The bird sings sweetly. → Verb = sings

• Ask “Who” or “What” is doing the action.
  Example: Who sings? → The bird (Subject)

• Identify the subject
  The word answering “who” or “what” is the subject.
  Example: The bird sings sweetly.

• Find the predicate
  The rest of the sentence tells us what the subject does → sings sweetly (Predicate)

• Check your answer
  Make sure the subject and predicate together form a complete sentence.
  Example: A young girl danced gracefully on the stage
  Subject = A young girl, Predicate = danced gracefully on the stage
  
  

Subject and Predicate Exercises

Identify the subject and predicate

1. The children are playing in the park.

2. My father drives to work every day.

3. The small bird sat at the window.

4. She is reading a storybook.

5. The tall building stands near the lake.

6. We watched a match yesterday.

7. The teacher asked an interesting question.

8. A gentle breeze blew in the evening.

9. They are learning a new language.

10. The little girl danced beautifully.

11. My grandparents live in a village.

12. The dog chased the ball quickly.

13. The sun rises in the east.

14. He wrote a letter to his friend.

15. The flowers bloom in spring.

Answers:

1. Subject: The children
   Predicate: are playing in the park

2. Subject: My father
   Predicate: drives to work every day

3. Subject: The small bird
   Predicate: sat at the window

4. Subject: She
   Predicate: is reading a storybook

5. Subject: The tall building
   Predicate: stands near the lake

6. Subject: We
   Predicate: watched a match yesterday

7. Subject: The teacher
   Predicate: asked an interesting question

8. Subject: A gentle breeze
   Predicate: blew in the evening

9. Subject: They
   Predicate: are learning a new language

10. Subject: The little girl
    Predicate: danced beautifully

11. Subject: My grandparents
    Predicate: live in a village

12. Subject: The dog
    Predicate: chased the ball quickly

13. Subject: The sun
    Predicate: rises in the east

14. Subject: He
    Predicate: wrote a letter to his friend

15. Subject: The flowers
    Predicate: bloom in spring