Subject and Predicate

Learn the two basic parts of an English sentence

Every complete sentence tells us something about someone or something.

To understand a sentence easily, we can divide it into two main parts:

Subject + Predicate

For example:

Rahul plays cricket.

• Subject: Rahul → Who are we talking about?
• Predicate: plays cricket → What are we saying about Rahul?

Once you understand Subject and Predicate, forming and understanding English sentences becomes much easier.

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1. What is a Subject?

Simple Definition

The Subject is the person, animal, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is mainly about.

In simple words:

The Subject tells us “who” or “what” the sentence is about.

Examples

Easy Trick

Ask:

Who? or What?

For example:

The boy is running.

Who is running?

👉 The boy

Therefore, “The boy” is the Subject.

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2. What is a Predicate?

Simple Definition

The Predicate is the part of the sentence that tells us something about the Subject.

In simple words:

The Predicate tells us what the Subject does, is, has, or what happens to the Subject.

Examples

Rahul plays cricket.

• Subject → Rahul
• Predicate → plays cricket

The baby is sleeping.

• Subject → The baby
• Predicate → is sleeping

My father works in a bank.

• Subject → My father
• Predicate → works in a bank

The students are preparing for their examination.

• Subject → The students
• Predicate → are preparing for their examination

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3. The Basic Structure

A simple sentence can often be divided like this:

Subject + Predicate

Think of it this way:

Subject = Who/What?
Predicate = What about them/it?

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4. Let’s Understand with a Story

Imagine your friend says:

“Ravi is going to college.”

You can immediately ask:

Who are we talking about?

👉 Ravi

That’s the Subject.

Then ask:

What is Ravi doing?

👉 is going to college

That’s the Predicate.

So:

Ravi + is going to college.

Subject + Predicate

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5. Subject and Predicate in Everyday English

You use Subject and Predicate every time you speak English—even if you don’t realize it.

At Home

Mother is preparing dinner.

• Subject → Mother
• Predicate → is preparing dinner.

My brother is watching TV.

• Subject → My brother
• Predicate → is watching TV.

At School

The teacher is explaining the lesson.

• Subject → The teacher
• Predicate → is explaining the lesson.

The students are writing.

• Subject → The students
• Predicate → are writing.

At Work

The manager called a meeting.

• Subject → The manager
• Predicate → called a meeting.

Our team completed the project.

• Subject → Our team
• Predicate → completed the project.

While Travelling

The train arrived on time.

• Subject → The train
• Predicate → arrived on time.

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6. Subject Can Be More Than One Word

The Subject is not always a single word.

Example:

The little boy is playing football.

The Subject is:

👉 The little boy

The Predicate is:

👉 is playing football.

Another example:

My best friend from college lives in Cuttack.

• Subject → My best friend from college
• Predicate → lives in Cuttack.

So, don’t assume that the first word is always the Subject.

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7. Predicate Can Also Be Long

The Predicate can contain several words.

Example:

The students are preparing for their final examination in the classroom.

• Subject → The students
• Predicate → are preparing for their final examination in the classroom.

The Predicate can include:

• Verb
• Object
• Adverb
• Prepositional phrases
• Other information about the Subject

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8. Finding the Subject and Predicate

Use this simple three-step method.

Step 1: Find the Verb

Look for the action or state.

Step 2: Ask “Who?” or “What?”

Who or what is performing the action or being described?

That’s usually the Subject.

Step 3: Everything that tells us something about the Subject forms the Predicate.

Example

The children are playing in the park.

Step 1: Verb → are playing

Step 2: Who are playing?

👉 The children

Subject → The children

Predicate → are playing in the park.

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9. More Examples

Example 1

The sun is shining brightly.

• Subject → The sun
• Predicate → is shining brightly.

Example 2

My mother cooks delicious food.

• Subject → My mother
• Predicate → cooks delicious food.

Example 3

The students completed their homework.

• Subject → The students
• Predicate → completed their homework.

Example 4

Our English teacher speaks clearly.

• Subject → Our English teacher
• Predicate → speaks clearly.

Example 5

The new laptop is very fast.

• Subject → The new laptop
• Predicate → is very fast.

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10. What About Commands?

Some sentences don’t openly show the Subject.

For example:

Open the door.

Who should open the door?

👉 You

The Subject “you” is understood, but it isn’t written.

So:

Open the door.

• Subject → You (understood)
• Predicate → open the door

Similarly:

Please sit down.

• Subject → You (understood)
• Predicate → please sit down

This is especially useful when learning Imperative Sentences.

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11. Subject and Predicate in Questions

Questions can have a different word order.

Example:

Are you ready?

Here:

• Subject → you
• Predicate → are ready

Another example:

Is Rahul coming today?

• Subject → Rahul
• Predicate → is coming today

So, don’t always assume that the Subject comes first.

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12. Compound Subjects

Sometimes two or more subjects share the same Predicate.

Example:

Rahul and Amit play cricket.

• Compound Subject → Rahul and Amit
• Predicate → play cricket

Another example:

My mother and father work together.

• Compound Subject → My mother and father
• Predicate → work together

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13. Compound Predicate

Sometimes one Subject performs two or more actions.

Example:

Rahul opened the door and entered the room.

• Subject → Rahul
• Compound Predicate → opened the door and entered the room

Another example:

She cooked dinner and washed the dishes.

• Subject → She
• Predicate → cooked dinner and washed the dishes

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14. Subject vs Predicate

Remember:

Subject = The main character
Predicate = What the main character does/is/has

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15. Correct vs Incorrect Understanding

Example 1

❌ Subject: plays cricket
✅ Subject: Rahul

Rahul plays cricket.

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Example 2

❌ Predicate: The students
✅ Predicate: are studying in the classroom.

The students are studying in the classroom.

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Example 3

Sentence:

My younger brother watches cartoons every evening.

❌ Subject → brother
✅ Subject → My younger brother

❌ Predicate → watches
✅ Predicate → watches cartoons every evening

Remember: the Subject and Predicate can contain multiple words.

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16. Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Thinking the Subject is always one word

The tall boy from my class won the competition.

The Subject is not just boy.

✅ Subject → The tall boy from my class

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Mistake 2: Thinking the first word is always the Subject

In the morning, my father goes for a walk.

The first phrase is In the morning, but the Subject is:

✅ my father

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Mistake 3: Looking only for the action

The flowers are beautiful.

There isn’t an obvious action.

But:

• Subject → The flowers
• Predicate → are beautiful

The Predicate doesn’t always describe an action. It can describe a state or quality.

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17. Subject & Predicate for Spoken English

Understanding Subject and Predicate helps you build sentences naturally.

Instead of memorizing hundreds of complete sentences, learn useful patterns.

Pattern 1

I + verb + object

• I like coffee.
• I need help.
• I speak English.
• I understand the question.

Pattern 2

My + noun + verb

• My brother works here.
• My mother cooks well.
• My friend lives nearby.

Pattern 3

The + noun + is/are + information

• The class is interesting.
• The students are ready.
• The food is delicious.

Once you understand this structure, you can create your own sentences.

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18. A Simple Memory Trick

Remember:

S = Subject = Someone/Something

P = Predicate = Provides information

Or simply remember:

Subject = Who or What?
Predicate = What about it?

For example:

The dog is barking.

🐶 Who?

👉 The dog = Subject

What about the dog?

👉 is barking = Predicate

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19. Practice Exercise

A. Identify the Subject and Predicate

1. Rahul plays football.
2. My mother is cooking dinner.
3. The children are playing in the park.
4. Our teacher teaches English.
5. The sun rises in the east.
6. My best friend lives in Bhubaneswar.
7. The train arrived late.
8. The little girl is singing a song.
9. My brother and sister study together.
10. The manager called a meeting.

Challenge

11. The boy in the blue shirt won the race.
12. My parents are watching television.
13. Rina opened the door and entered the room.
14. The students completed their project successfully.
15. Please close the window.

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20. Answers

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Quick Revision

Before moving ahead, remember these five points:

1. Every complete sentence communicates an idea.
2. A sentence can usually be divided into Subject + Predicate.
3. Subject tells us who or what the sentence is about.
4. Predicate tells us something about the Subject.
5. The Subject and Predicate can contain one word or many words.

The Golden Formula

WHO / WHAT? → SUBJECT
WHAT ABOUT IT? → PREDICATE

Example

The students are learning English.

The students → Who?

✅ Subject

are learning English → What are they doing?

✅ Predicate

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Subject?

A Subject is the person, animal, place, thing, or idea that a sentence is mainly about.

2. What is a Predicate?

A Predicate tells us something about the Subject and normally contains the verb.

3. Can a Subject contain more than one word?

Yes. For example, “The little boy” is a Subject.

4. Can a Predicate contain more than one word?

Yes. For example, “is playing football in the park” is a Predicate.

5. Does every sentence have a Subject?

Most complete sentences have a Subject, but in imperative sentences such as “Open the door,” the Subject “you” is understood rather than stated.

6. Why should I learn Subject and Predicate?

Because they help you understand how English sentences are constructed. Once you understand this basic structure, learning tenses, sentence formation, and spoken English becomes easier.

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Key Takeaway

A sentence needs a clear idea. The Subject tells us who or what we are talking about, and the Predicate tells us what we are saying about that Subject.

Subject + Predicate = The basic building blocks of an English sentence.