One way to find the subject of a sentence is to find the verb first. After you have found the verb, ask “Who?” or “What?” before it and the answer will be the subject.
Tall, grey stone walls towered in front of her. (The verb is towered. Who or what towered? walls. Walls is the subject)
Around the bend roared the train. (The verb is roared. Who or What roared? train. Train is the subject)
Sentences that are Questions
You can find the subject by turning the question into a statement and then use the above method of finding the verb and the subject.
Was the window open? (changed to The window was open. The verb is open and the subject is window).
Did he buy the car? (changed to He did buy the car. The verb is buy and the subject is he)
Sentences beginning with "There"
There can be used to get a sentence started when the subject comes after the verb. Be careful not to choose there as the subject. To find the subject in such a sentence, omit there and then use the above method of finding the verb and the subject.
There are apples in the box. (changed to Apples are in the box. The verb is are and apples is the subject).
There is someone is in the room. (changed to Someone is in the room. The verb is is and someone is the subject).
The subject of a verb is never in a propositional phrase.
A propositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. Do not nake the mistake of choosing that noun or pronoun as the subject of the sentence.
That house near the river is my home. (The prepositional phrase is near the river, the verb is is and the subject is house)
In the middle of the lake stands a golden statute. (The prepositional phrase is middle of the lake, the verb is stands and the subject is statute)
The Understood (or Implied) Subject
In a request or a command, the subject of a sentence is usually not stated. Instead, the person spoken to is understood to be the subject.
Please clean the table. (The implied subject is the person spoken to which is you).
Do not walk on the grass. (The implied subject is the person spoken to which is you).
The subject of a sentence is the person or thing that is doing the action. Find the subject in a few example sentences with the help of the following video.
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