English Grammar: Subjects and Verbs

English Grammar: Subjects and Verbs

English Grammar: Subjects and Verbs

In writing with the English grammar, knowledge about subjects and verbs is important. This is why these are some of the first things taught in school. Knowing the difference between the subjects and the verbs in a sentence is important to effectively communicate and convey messages. Being aware of these will also let you recognize where to put commas and semicolons in your sentences. Whether in writing or in speaking, understanding the latter will surely help you know how to successfully connect with your correspondents or audience.

Simply put, in English grammar, a verb is an action word or a word that shows a state of being. Examples of words that show action are sings, runs, cooks, swims and goes. Words that illustrate a state of being, on the other hand, are am, is, are, was and were. "She dances with grace." is an example of a sentence with an action word, while "He is my father." is an illustration of a sentence with a word expressing a state of being. However, when an action word comes after the word "to", it is called an infinitive phrase. The leading verb is located either before or after the latter. "I like to paint." and "The attempt to get him impeached worked." shows an infinitive phrase coming before the main verb and after the latter respectively.

Conversely, the subject in the English grammar is what executes the verb. Words or groups of words that act as subjects are usually either nouns or pronouns. A phrase beginning with "of" usually marks the end of a subject. "A pile of history books was stacked on her study table." is an example where "pile" is the subject and "of history books" is the phrase beginning with "of" that comes after it. To easily locate the subject, look for the verb first. Then examine who is responsible for the action. In the sentence "Her mom came home early.", the word "came" is the verb. What or who came? Her mom did, so "mom" is the subject.

Sentences stating commands or requests may come in forms where in only the action being instructed or called for is stated. "Go!" and "Talk quietly." are instances where this is shown. In such cases, it is assumed that the person being talked to is the subject. This is because the answer to the questions "Who is being told to go?" or "Who is being told to talk quietly?" is the person responding to the statement.

There are also times in English grammar where in two or more actions and two or more subjects are present in the sentence. "He likes her, but she loathes him." has two subjects and two verbs, "She and I went to the party." has two subjects and one action, while "I exercise and jog every day." has a single subject and one verb.

On the whole, subjects and verbs come hand and hand in constructing sentences in English grammar. Remember the rules provided here and you will surely have an easy time identifying which is which in every sentence you encounter.

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