What Is a Subject of a Sentence? Meaning, Examples & Types

• Jul 29, 2024
• 5 min read

• Tags: English as a Second Language / ESL, Grammar, Language

Subjects are like the main characters in a story. They’re the ones doing the action or being discussed in the sentence. In this article, learn everything about the sentence’s subject in detail! 

We’ve also answered many questions like: How do you identify the subject of a sentence? What are the rules for using subjects in sentences?  What are the different kinds of subjects? So, let’s begin! 

What is the subject of a sentence? 

The subject is the main focus of the sentence. It is usually the noun or pronoun that performs the action in the sentence. For example: 

He went to the market. (He- pronoun) 

Anne traveled to Paris. (Anne- noun) 

In the above sentences, the subject comes before the verb in the sentence. While this is common, the subject comes after the verb in interrogative sentences. For example: 

Are you tired? (are- verb, you- subject) 

What is she doing? (is-verb, she- subject) 

In some cases, the subject does not perform the action. Instead, it is affected by the action. For example: 

The window was cleaned yesterday. 

Here, the window is not performing the action. Instead, it is impacted by the action “cleaned”. Let’s quickly see another example of a subject in a sentence! 

The box was thrown in the dustbin. 

In this sentence, the box is not performing the action. Instead, it’s impacted by the action. 

Now let’s see how to identify the subject of a sentence. 

How to find the subject of a sentence? 

To identify the subject of a sentence, find out the verb in the sentence. Then ask “Who is performing the action?” or “What is performing the action?” This gives us the subject. For example: 

Anne walked into the garden. (Who walked? Answer- Anne) 

The lion chased the deer. (What chased the deer? Answer- lion) 

Now let us understand the different types of subjects in detail! 

Three important types of subjects 

1. Simple subject 

Many times, the sentence has only one noun/pronoun. This noun/pronoun is known as the simple subject of a sentence. For example: 

The girl was happy. 

James was worried. 

2. Complete subject 

A complete subject consists of the simple subject along with other modifiers (parts of speech (e.g., adjectives, adverbs, prepositions) that help to describe the sentence. It provides additional information about the subject. For example: 

The old, rusty bike in the shed belongs to my uncle. 

Here, the article “the”, the adjectives “old”, “rusty”, and the prepositional phrase “in the shed” give a detailed description of the bike. This makes it a complete subject. 

Another example of a complete subject is: 

The tall, majestic oak tree in the center of the park. 

In this sentence, the words “tall”, “majestic”, and “oak” describe the tree in detail. 

3. Compound subject 

A compound subject usually includes 2 or more simple subjects connected by conjunctions like “and”, “or”, “nor”, etc. For example: 

Mary and Jane visited their brother. 

Neither the coach nor the team were happy with the team’s defeat. 

Important pointers about the sentence’s subject 

1. Subject-verb agreement: This means that the subject and the verb must refer to the same number, meaning either both should be singular, or, both should be plural. 

For example: 

The apple is ripe. (apple- noun, is- verb) 

Here, both “apple” and “is” are Singular, referring to one apple. 

The books are old. (books- noun, are- verb). 

Here, both “books” and “are” refer to many apples. 

2. Collective nouns can be treated as both, singular and plural subjects: The nouns that refer to a group of people, or things are known as collective nouns. “Government”, “team”, and “staff” are some examples of collective nouns. 

For example: 

The government is introducing a new tax. (American English) 

The jury are divided in their opinion. (British English) 

3. A dummy subject can be added to complete the sentence: Also known as an expletive, a dummy subject can be added to fulfill the requirement of having a subject. For example: 

It is raining outside. 

In the above sentence “it” doesn’t perform any action. However, “it” is added as the sentence needs a subject to make sense. 

4. A gerund or infinitive can also be used as the sentence’s subject: While a gerund is a verb that functions as a noun, an infinitive includes to + the main verb. Let’s see examples of this rule. 

Swimming is a useful skill. (Swimming- gerund) 

To learn a new language is not easy. (To learn- infinitive) 

How to use a subject in a sentence correctly? 

1. Identify the subject: Determine who or what the sentence is about. 
2. Place the subject: Place the subject before the verb in declarative sentences (e.g., She runs). In interrogative sentences, place it after the verb (e.g., What are you doing?). Omit the subject for imperative sentences (e.g., Close the door). 
3. Use clear pronouns: Ensure pronouns clearly refer to the correct subject (e.g., John said he would call).
4. Avoid misplacements: Place the subject correctly to avoid confusion For example: 

Incorrect: Running down the street, the car hit the man. (Meaning- The car was running.) 

Correct: Running down the street, the man was hit by the car. (Meaning- The man was running.) 

You may have also heard the term “object of a sentence”. There is a difference between the subject and object of a sentence. Let’s quickly understand this! 

Subject vs. object of a sentence 

While a subject performs the action, the object receives the action of the verb. The object can be a noun or a pronoun. Usually, it is written after mentioning the subject. For example: 

He read a story. (Subject- He, Object- Story) 

Here, the “story” directly receives the action of reading. Hence, it’s a direct object. 

She gave her friend a gift. (Subject- She, friend- Indirect Object, gift-Direct Object) 

In the above sentence, “friend” is the indirect object. Usually, the indirect objects are mentioned before the direct object in a sentence. 

We hope the above examples have clarified the difference between object vs. subject of a sentence. This concludes our guide about the subject of a sentence! Now you can easily identify and use subjects while creating content. 

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Priya

Priya has a talent for academic research and enjoys simplifying complex topics. When she's not helping students improve their writing, she can be seen reading poetry, playing the harmonium, or learning classical dance.