The Subject in Grammar: Types and Examples
Summary
The subject is whom or what a sentence is about. It is the doer or agent, or the person or thing being described.
- Lulu lives on Mars.
A simple subject is the key word or phrase being described. A complete subject includes the simple subject and its modifiers.
- Simple subject: My new friend lives on Mars.
- Complete subject: My new friend lives on Mars.
In a compound subject, two words or phrases join to share the same verb.
- Compound subject: Lulu and Rita live on Mars.
Subjects may also be definite and indefinite.
- Definite subject: The woman from the restaurant is here.
- Indefinite subject: A man called for you.
The subject is most often a noun phrase, but it can take various grammatical forms.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun phrase | My mother is an astronaut. |
| Gerund phrase | Swimming is fun. |
| Infinitive phrase | To dream is to live. |
| Noun clause | What I want is some patience. |
| Prepositional phrase | At midnight is when the magic happens. |
| Implied subject | (You) send me an email, please. |
| Dummy subject | It’s late. There is no time left. |
What is a subject?
The subject is the person or thing that a sentence or clause is about. It is often the performer of an action, or the doer or agent. But not all sentences speak of actions. The subject is also whom or what a state or event refers to.
- The cat is riding a bicycle.
- Rita runs in the morning.
- Many people came to the party.
- Everyone likes pasta.
- She believes that things will get better.
- Tumkin has won the lottery.
The subject can simply be the person or thing being described in a sentence.
- Maya feels happy when it rains.
- Roses of all colors smell lovely.
- These songs are from my childhood.
The object is the recipient of an action.
- The cat is riding a bicycle.
subject = the cat; verb = is riding; object = a bicycle
The predicate is the part of the sentence that describes the subject or tells us what the subject does.
- The cat is riding a bicycle.
subject = the cat; predicate = is riding a bicycle
Identifying the subject
To identify the subject in a sentence, find the verb. Then find the person or thing being described by the verb. In most sentences, the subject is the phrase right before the verb.
- The girls in the park are playing a game.
verb = are playing; subject = the girls in the park
- All cats are creatures of habit.
verb = are; subject = all cats
- The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
verb = jumps; subject = the quick brown fox
Simple and complete subjects
A simple subject is the key word or phrase that the sentence is about. A complete subject is the simple subject and any words that modify or describe it.
- Simple subject: My new friend is an astronaut.
Complete subject: My new friend is an astronaut. - Simple subject: Maya, who’s an astronaut, lives on Mars.
Complete subject: Maya, who’s an astronaut, lives on Mars. - Simple subject: The car that Farley bought last year has broken down.
Complete subject: The car that Farley bought last year has broken down.
Identify the simple subject in a sentence, and make sure the verb used agrees with it.
- Complete subject: One of the students sitting for the exams need/needs your help.
To decide which verb form to use, identify the simple subject.Simple subject: One of the students sitting for the exams
need/needs your help.
Compound subject
In a compound subject, two or more noun phrases are coordinated or joined using a conjunction. These noun phrases then together form a single subject and share the same verb.
- Maya and my new friend are both astronauts.
- Tumkin and Maya are going to Thailand.
- My friend from college and the woman who bought our house know each other.
- Anita or Poco can help you with this.
- Neither Farley’s car nor his motorcycle runs anymore.
The main concern with a compound subject is subject-verb agreement. Make sure to correctly use the singular or plural verb with a compound subject.
- The cats and the dog
is/are going to the vet today. - Either the cats or the dog is/
aregoing to the vet today. - Neither the scientists nor the engineer knows/
knowhow to fix this.
Definite and indefinite subjects
A definite subject refers to someone or something known and specific. It can be a proper name, a definite pronoun like you or I, or a noun phrase starting with the definite article the or determiners like that, my, and your.
- Minerva Dash has won the Nobel Prize in literature.
- You need to solve this.
- The girl we met at the party is at the door.
- That girl stole my purse.
An indefinite subject begins with the indefinite article a/an or a determiner like some or any. It can also simply be an indefinite pronoun (like someone or anyone).
- A girl we don’t know is at the door.
- Some people prefer tea to coffee.
- Someone is at the door.
Fake and real subjects
A fake subject refers to the real subject, which appears later in the sentence. It is also called the anticipatory or dummy subject. Fake subjects help introduce the existence of a situation or place end focus on the subject in a sentence.
- There are two ways to solve this problem.
fake subject = there; real subject = two ways to solve this problem
- It is now believed that dinosaurs were birds rather than reptiles.
The pronouns it and there act as fake subjects in sentences.
Empty subject
The word it acts as an empty subject in references to time, weather, and distance. The empty it helps introduce a situation or a fact.
- It’s raining again.
- It’s 9 o’clock already!
- It’s two miles to the hospital.
Null or implied subject
The null or implied subject in a sentence is not explicitly stated but is understood from context. It is also called the zero subject. It is most often seen in imperative structures like commands and requests, and also in minor sentences in informal usage.
- (You) shut the door.
- (You) please call me tomorrow.
- “Who won the match?” “(I) don’t know.”
Forms of the subject
The subject of a sentence is often a noun phrase. However, other grammatical forms can also function as the subject. Here is a table with examples.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun phrase | My friend is a writer. |
| Gerund phrase | Seeing is believing. |
| Infinitive phrase | To err is human. |
| Noun clause | What we need is a miracle. |
| Prepositional phrase | At 5 p.m. is when the day begins. |
| Implied subject | (You) sit down, please. |
| Dummy subject | There is a unicorn in the garden. |
Read more in this article on forms of the subject in English.
Subject-verb agreement
The verb you use in a sentence should agree with the subject in person and number. This means that the verb changes depending on whether the subject is singular or plural, or in the first, second, or third person.
- I want to travel the world.
singular, first person
- Maya wants to travel the world.
singular, third person
- My parents want to travel the world.
plural, third person
Make sure to correctly use the singular or plural verb in a sentence.
- One of my students has/
havewon a trip to Mars. - Each of my colleagues
deserve/deserves a raise. - Check whether Farley or Poco has/
havethe umbrella.
Subject-verb agreement can be confusing with collective nouns like team and government. In general, such words are treated as singular in American English and plural in British English.
- American: The government is planning to allow pelicans to drive.
- British: The government are planning to allow pelicans to drive.
Subject complement
Some sentences don’t refer to any action or event but merely describe the subject. In such sentences, the subject complement, which is a description of the subject, follows the verb.
- Anita is kind.
subject = Anita; subject complement = kind
- The flowers smell lovely.
- This fabric feels rough to the touch.
- Your plan sounds feasible.
- This juice tastes bitter.
We use linking verbs to describe the subject in a sentence—verbs like be, feel, taste, smell, and sound. These verbs don’t refer to an action or event but simply link the subject to the complement or description.
Subject in passive voice
In the active voice, the subject is the doer or agent, and the object in the sentence is the recipient of the action. In the passive voice, the recipient of the action becomes the subject.
- Active voice: Anita has found the answer.
subject = Anita (the one doing the finding)Passive voice: The answer has been found by Anita.subject = the answer (the thing being found)
- Active voice: Someone has stolen Farley’s wallet.
subject = someonePassive voice: Farley’s wallet has been stolen.subject = Farley’s wallet
Some writers and editors insist on avoiding the passive voice. While it is true that the active voice is often the more natural choice, the passive voice has its uses. Sometimes, the recipient of the action is more important than the doer and should therefore be the subject of the sentence. For example, in the sentence “Farley’s wallet has been stolen,” the speaker is focusing on the wallet rather than on the unknown thief.
Subject-verb inversion
The subject usually precedes the verb, but this order may be inverted—for example, in questions.
- We are happy.
- Are we happy?
As you can see, in a declarative sentence (or a statement), the subject usually precedes the verb. In interrogatory sentences (or questions), this order is inverted, and the verb appears before the subject.
- Is the cat in the hat?
- What have you done?
- Where are we going?
Subject-verb inversion can also happen in statements.
- I don’t understand this, nor does Anita.
- Even stranger was the story Poco told us.