Sentences, Subjects and Predicates

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. 

• Little Tuti loves green apples.

Sentences contain subjects and predicates.

The subject of a sentence tells whom or what the sentence is about.

• Little Tuti is the subject.

A simple subject, or noun, is the main word or phrase that tells whom or what the sentence is about.

• Tuti is the simple subject of the sentence.  It tells whom the sentence is about.

The predicate of a sentence tells something about the subject.  The predicate tells what the subject is, what it is like, or an action that it performs.

• Loves green apples is the predicate.

A simple predicate, or verb, is the main word or verb phrase that tells what the subject is, is like, or action performed.

• Loves is the simple predicate of the sentence.  It tells what an action perfomed by Tuti.

Sometimes sentences contain compound subjects and compound predicates.

Little Tuti and Silly Maggie sing and dance to Christmas music in July.

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects share the same predicate.

• The compound subject is Little Tuti and Silly Maggie.

A compound predicate consists of two or more verbs that share the same subject.

• The compound predicate is sing and dance.