Kinds Of Subjects And Predicates

As we have already seen, every sentence contains a sub-ject and a predicate.

The subject is the word, or words, that name the thing about which something is asserted.

The predicate is the word, or words, that express what is asserted about the thing named by the subject.

The subject of a sentence may be:

1. A noun; as, Birds have feathers.

2. A pronoun; as, They went home.

3. A phrase; as, To see the sun is pleasant.

4. A clause; as, What he said was true.

The predicate of every sentence is a verb or contains a verb; for the verb, as we have seen, is the .part of speech which is used in making assertions.

Point out the subjects in the following sentences:

1. Truth crushed to earth will rise again.

2. Good books are worthy companions.

8. The love of money is the root of all evil.

4. How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank.

5. They are slaves who dare not be In the right with two or three.

6. To be ready for storm is the duty of the sailor.

7. Whatever he did was misunderstood.

8. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has done much good by its teachings.

9. To pay his bills promptly is characteristic of an honest man.

10. The messenger said that the news was received at eight o'clock.

11. The result of the examination was not yet known.

12. All the talents and all the accomplishments developed by liberty and civilization were now displayed.

13. There were seated around the queen the fair-haired daughters of the house of Brunswick.

14. He had the stout heart which leads the forlorn hope unhesitatingly.

15. To exercise power over another unlawfully is tyranny.

16. The rays of the evening sun came solemnly through the painted windows above his head and fell in gorgeous colors on the opposite wall.

17. That which is truly characteristic of man is known only to God.

18. There, across the great rocky wharves, a wooden bridge goes, carrying a path to the forest.

19. At every new question put to him this nephew burst into a fresh roar of laughter.

20. By and by there was brought to me the fragrant tea, and big masses of scorched and scorching toast.

21. At last a soft and solemn-breathing sound Rose like a stream of rich distilled perfumes.