Subject (grammar) facts for kids
The subject in grammar is the main part of a sentence that tells you who or what the sentence is about. It's often the person or thing doing the action. For example, in the sentence "Alan kissed Jane," Alan is the subject because he is the one doing the kissing.
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Understanding the Subject
The subject is a key part of how we understand sentences. It helps us know who is performing an action or what is being described.
Active vs. Passive Sentences
Sometimes, the subject can be a bit tricky. Let's look at two sentences that mean the same thing but are structured differently:
- Our children planted a tree.
- A tree was planted by our children.
In the first sentence, our children is the subject. They are actively doing the planting. This is called an active sentence.
In the second sentence, a tree is the subject. The tree isn't doing anything; it's having something done to it. This is a passive sentence. Even though our children are still the ones who did the planting, they are not the grammatical subject in the second sentence.
Grammatical vs. Logical Subject
This shows us there's a difference between the grammatical subject (the word or phrase that acts as the subject in the sentence structure) and the logical subject (the actual 'doer' of the action). In the example above, our children are the logical subject in both sentences, but only the grammatical subject in the first one.
Sentences Without a Subject
Not all sentences have a clear subject. For example:
- Come here!
- Identifying the thief may take some time.
In commands like "Come here!", the subject you is understood but not actually said. In sentences like "Identifying the thief may take some time," the main focus is on the action or idea, not a specific 'doer'.
What is a Predicate?
If a sentence does have a subject, then the rest of the sentence is called the predicate. The predicate tells us what the subject is doing or what is being said about the subject. For example, in "Alan kissed Jane," Alan is the subject, and kissed Jane is the predicate.
See also
In Spanish: Sujeto (gramática) para niños
