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Grammar
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Sentence structure
Summary
The simple subject is the primary word or phrase that a sentence is about. The complete subject is the simple subject and any words that modify or describe it.
Examples
- Simple subject: The man with the marbles is here.
Complete subject: The man with the marbles is here. - Simple subject: A number of items are missing.
Complete subject: A number of items are missing. - Simple subject: The number of cases is rising.
Complete subject: The number of cases is rising. - Simple subject: Minerva Dash is our new manager.
Complete subject: Minerva Dash is our new manager.
Identifying the simple subject can help ensure subject-verb agreement.
Examples
- A number of items
is/are missing. - The number of cases is/
arerising.
but
Subjects in grammar
The subject of a sentence is the doer or agent, the one performing an action.
Examples
- Maya visited Estonia last year.
- My aunt is an astronaut.
- The strange red lights vanished as suddenly as they had appeared.
The subject can also be what a state or event refers to.
Examples
- Nesbit needs a new phone.
- The party is on Wednesday.
- Everyone in the room was stunned by the announcement.
The subject may simply be the person or thing being described in a sentence.
Examples
- Tumkin is a brilliant man.
- This milk tastes sour.
- The crystal was cool to the touch.
As can be seen, the subject is whom or what a sentence is about. In traditional grammar, subjects can be classified as simple and complete. In this article, we discuss the difference between simple and complete subjects, and how distinguishing between the two can help you choose the right verb form in a sentence.
Simple subject
The simple subject is the key word or phrase that a sentence is about.
Examples
- My friend is a writer.
- The little shop around the corner is gone.
- Harris’s sister is an astronaut.
- The cat they brought home from the shelter was white with black spots.
The simple subject in a sentence can be a proper or a common noun, or a pronoun.
Examples
- Minerva Dash is a famous architect.
- Is your mother home?
- My neighbor, who’s a superhero, has lost her cape.
- You can ask for help if you need it.
A simple subject may also be a phrase.
Examples
- On weekends is when we relax.
- At six will be fine.
Note
The subject can take various grammatical forms. Although it is most often a noun phrase, it can also be a noun clause or a prepositional phrase.
Complete subject
A complete subject is the simple subject along with its modifiers, which are all the other words that accompany the simple subject.
Examples
- My friend is a writer.
- The little shop around the corner is gone.
- Harris’s sister is an astronaut.
- The cat we adopted from the shelter was white with black spots.
- Minerva Dash is a famous architect.
- Is your mother home?
- My neighbor, who’s a superhero, has lost her cape.
- You can ask for help if you need it.
- On weekends is when we relax.
- At six is when I leave work.
An easy way to identify the complete subject is to remove the predicate from the sentence. Everything other than the predicate is the complete subject. (The predicate begins at the verb.)
Examples
- This Italian dish is delicious.
Complete subject: This Italian dishis delicious. - The chef, who’s Italian, is an artist.
Complete subject: The chef, who’s Italian,is an artist.
Note
Sometimes the complete subject is the same as the simple subject.
Examples
- Simple subject: Rita has adopted a tarantula.
Complete subject: Rita has adopted a tarantula. - Simple subject: My friend Anita loves cats.
Complete subject: My friend Anita loves cats.
but
Verb agreement with simple subject
Identifying the simple subject in a sentence can help ensure subject-verb agreement. The verb used in a sentence must agree with its subject. In long sentences, agreement can be confusing. Identify the simple subject, and make sure the verb used agrees with it.
Examples
- One of the candidates submitting applications is/
areon the phone.The simple subject is one of the candidates, which is singular. Ignore all the other words in the complete subject, and use the singular verb is.
- The number of people looking for jobs has/
havegone up.simple subject = number (singular)
- A number of people, one of whom looks furious,
is/are waiting in your office.simple subject = people (plural), not number or one
- My friends, whom I have known since college,
is/are moving to Thailand.simple subject = friends (plural)
- My mom, as well as her friends, loves/
lovethis movie.simple subject = mom (singular)
Compound subjects
In a compound subject, two or more subjects are joined by a conjunction like and to share the same verb.
Examples
- The dog and the cat are friends.
- The manager or the staff will know.
It can be tricky to determine whether to use singular or plural verbs with compound subjects. When two subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb used should agree with the simple subject closest to it.
Examples
- The writers or the editor has to decide.
- The editor or the writers have to decide.
- Neither my grandparents nor my mom is from Spain.
- Neither my mom nor my grandparents are from Spain.
Every sentence has a subject and a predicate.
Subjects can be simple or complete. A complete subject tells us who or what the sentence is about, along with any extra information about the subject.
In this article, we will look at what a complete subject is and provide several examples.
What Is a Complete Subject?
To understand and define the complete subject, it’s important to understand what the subject and predicate are.
A subject is the part of a sentence that tells us who or what the sentence is about. A predicate is the part of a sentence with a verb—it’s what the subject is doing.
There are two types of subjects in sentences: simple and complete.
A simple subject is only the main word or words that “do” the verb. No extra information is included in a simple subject.
A complete subject, on the other hand, includes the main word or words and any modifiers.
Modifiers are words that add information or description to another word. They can include articles, adjectives, and adverbs. They can also include entire phrases or clauses.
Let’s see what modifiers look like in an example sentence:
- My best friend Hannah has two children.
The sentence is about Hannah. Hannah is the simple subject. The complete subject is “my best friend Hannah.”
Components of a Complete Subject
Let’s take a deeper look at the parts of a subject so you can easily identify the complete subject.
Complete subjects usually appear at the beginning of a sentence or clause, but not always.
The first step in identifying complete subjects is asking yourself who or what is doing the verb. If the verb is not an action verb, ask who or what the sentence is primarily talking about.
Now, let’s check out a detailed example:
- The beautiful painting she bought on vacation hung on the wall behind the sofa.
Before we can find the complete subject, we should find the simple subject and the predicate. The simple subject typically refers only to the main noun.
In this sentence, the simple subject is “painting.” Notice how this doesn’t include the article “the.”
Now, let’s identify the predicate so that we know which words comprise the complete subject.
The predicate is the part of the sentence that contains the main verb or verb phrase. In our example, the verb is “hung.” The complete predicate is “hung on the wall behind the sofa.”
That leaves us with the complete subject, “the beautiful painting she bought on vacation.”
It includes the simple subject, “painting,” and the modifiers “the” and “beautiful.” It also includes a restrictive clause, “she bought on vacation.”
Some sentences have a compound subject, which means there are two or more subjects that share the same verb. Together, all the simple subjects and their modifiers make a complete subject. Here’s how to find both the simple subject and the complete subject in this situation.
- The brown dog and the little boy played outside all day.
The conjunction “and” lets us know we’re dealing with a compound subject. Even though this sentence has a compound subject, we will use the same process. The simple subjects in this example are “dog” and “boy.” These are who the sentence is about.
Next, let’s find the verb. In this sentence, “played” is the verb. The complete predicate is “played outside all day.”
That leaves us with the complete subject, “The brown dog and the little boy.” The components of the complete subject in this example include articles, “the,” and adjectives, “brown” and “little.”
Complete Subject Examples List
Here are several more complete subject examples. In each sentence, locate the simple subject, the verb, and the complete predicate. This will help you find the complete subject.
- The new book I checked out from the library was so well written!
What is this sentence talking about? It’s talking about a new book. The simple subject is “book.” The verb “was” tells us where to find the predicate. This means that the complete subject is “The new book I checked out from the library.”
In the following examples, the complete subject is highlighted.
- My grandmother’s vintage stand mixer still works better than any new model.
- Lola, my daughter, loves to play with cars and trucks.
- The new high chair and the used stroller are both for sale.
- After class, the students who failed the test stayed behind to ask questions.
Remember, the complete subject represents all the information that modifies the simple subject. If you can identify the simple subject and the verb, finding the complete subject is easy.
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Simple subject definition: A simple subject is a main word or words that tell what or whom a sentence discusses, not including any modifiers.
Complete subject definition: A complete subject is all of the words that tell what or whom a sentence discusses, including any modifiers.
What is a Simple Subject?
What does simple subject mean? A simple subject is a main word or words that tell whom or what a sentence discusses.
The simple subject is only who or what is “doing” the verb, without any modifiers.
Simple Subject Examples:
- Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
- In this sentence, “Thomas Edison” is “doing” the verb, “invented.”
- Thomas Edison is the simple subject.
- Monkeys scare me.
- In this sentence, “monkeys” are “doing” the verb, “scare.”
- Monkeys is the simple subject.
What is a Complete Subject?
What does complete subject mean? A complete subject is all of the words that tell whom or what a sentence discusses.
The complete subject is who or what is “doing” the verb, including any modifiers.
Complete Subject Examples:
- The mangy old dog limped down the alley.
- In this sentence, the “dog” is “doing” the verb, “limped.”
- Modifiers to “dog” include “the mangy old.”
- “The mangy old dog” is the complete subject.
- Three cardboard boxes remained in the vacant house.
- In this sentence, “boxes” are “doing” the verb, “remained.”
- Modifiers to “boxes” include “three cardboard.”
- “Three cardboard boxes” is the compound subject.
Simple Subject vs. Complete Subject
A few additional examples will help clarify the difference between simple and complete subjects.
What is the simple subject of the following sentence?
The mangy old dog limped down the alley.
- The simple subject of the sentence is “dog.”
- The modifiers for dog include “the mangy old.”
- The complete subject is the bold terms, “the mangy old dog.”
Let’s look at another example. What is the simple subject in this sentence?
Three cardboard boxes remained in the vacant house.
- The simple subject of the sentence is “boxes.”
- The modifiers for boxes include “three cardboard.”
- The complete subject is the bold terms, “three cardboard boxes.”
As you can see, the difference between the simple subject and complete subject is quite clear. The simple subject is just the subject, nothing else. The complete subject is the simple subject along with any other modifiers.
Outside Examples:
Let’s look at a few outside examples. The simple subject is in bold and the complete subject is underlined.
- A subcommittee of the Chicago City Council approved the “Rideshare Reform” proposal unanimously Friday, and the measure faces a full vote from the council as soon as Wednesday. –USA Today
- The real estate firm was founded in 2005. Shah said the private company’s goal is to eventually become a publicly traded real estate investment trust, and it wants to buy additional hotels on Long Island. –Newsday
Neither Will be a Part of a Prepositional Phrase
Neither a simple nor a complete subject will be part of a prepositional phrase.
A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and ends with a noun. Sometimes, prepositional phrases are placed very near a subject and seem like they are part of a subject. However, they are not.
Example:
- Near the door the cat
- The italicized terms are a prepositional phrase. Even though they are close to the subject, the cat, they are not a part of the subject. “Near the door” does not describe the cat but explains the cat’s location.
- Neither of our cars is worth much money.
- The italicized terms are a prepositional phrase. In this case, the prepositional phrase comes after the subject. “Neither” is the subject here.
Define simple subject: The definition of a simple subject is the single word that is performing the action in a sentence.
Define complete subject: The definition of a complete subject is the subject of a sentence as well as any modifiers attached to it.
To summarize, a simple subject is only the main word or words “doing” the action of the sentence. A complete subject is the main word or words including any modifiers “doing” the action of the sentence.
Contents
- 1 What is a Simple Subject?
- 2 What is a Complete Subject?
- 3 Simple Subject vs. Complete Subject
- 4 Outside Examples:
- 5 Neither Will be a Part of a Prepositional Phrase
- 6 Summary: What are Complete and Simple Subjects?
In the pangram «The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,» the complete subject is The quick brown fox.».
Yves Adams / Getty Images
Updated on February 12, 2020
In traditional grammar, a complete subject is made up of a simple subject (usually a single noun or pronoun) and any modifying words or phrases.
Illustrative Definition
As Jack Umstatter has noted, «A complete subject contains all the words that help to identify the main person, place, thing, or idea of the sentence» (Got Grammar?). Put another way, complete subjects are everything in a sentence that’s not part of the complete predicate.
Examples and Observations
- «The complete subject is the person, place, or thing that the sentence is about, along with all the words that modify it (describe it or give more information about it). The complete predicate (verb) is what the person, place, or thing is doing, or what condition the person, place, or thing is in. The aged, white-haired gentleman walked slowly down the hall. The simple subject of a sentence is the fundamental part of the complete subject—the main noun(s) and pronoun(s) in the complete subject. In this example, the simple subject is gentleman.»
(Susan Thurman and Larry Shea, The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need. Adams Media, 2003) - E.B. White
«Stuart was an early riser; he was almost always the first person up in the morning.» –Stuart Little. Harper, 1945 - Jitka M. Zgola
«A few residents were early risers who would wander about, hungry and restless, and were usually encouraged by staff to return to bed.» –Care That Works. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 - Sophie McKenzie
«I looked down. The pile of magazines was still in my arms.» –Six Steps to a Girl. Simon & Schuster, 2007 - Fern Michaels
«Some idiot from the city had told him to move his car for the street cleaners.» –The Scoop. Kensington, 2009 - Wayne Lynch
«The circus was in town. The lions, tigers, and bears were booked under the big top at Convention Hall.» –Season of the 76ers. Thomas Dunne, 2002 - D.J. MacHale
«Instantly every one of the people in the store moved to the side of the aisle and knelt down to let the dados by.» –The Quillan Games. Simon and Schuster, 2006 - Carlos Castaneda
«She was about to open the front door, but she stopped short; a most frightening sound came from just outside the door.» –The Second Ring of Power. Washington Square Press, 1977 - Marcus Galloway
«Everyone in Keith County and even folks from neighboring ones know that there’s no real law in that part of the state.» –Ralph Compton: Rusted Tin. Signet, 2010 - Phillip Barrish
«Wharton’s language in the book’s final few paragraphs evokes a man finally allowing a mesmerizing film to end, so that he can get up and leave.» –White Liberal Identity, Literary Pedagogy, and Classic American Realism. Ohio State University Press, 2005 - Adam Haslett
«A breeze moved through the laburnum trees, carrying a sheet of the Sunday paper into the rose border. Mrs. Giles’s collie yapped on the other side of the hedge.» –»Devotion.» The Best American Short Stories 2003, ed. by Walter Mosley and Katrina Kenison. Houghton Mifflin, 2003 - John Updike
«Charlie, who in a way enjoyed homework, was ready to join in the angry moan of the others. Little hurt lines had leaped up between Miss Fritz’s eyebrows and he felt sorry for her.» –»The Alligators.» The Early Stories: 1953-1975. Random House, 2003 - Meg Mullins
«But now, the sound of the carousel turning and the jingle of his keys in his pocket—keys to the apartment in which there is an empty top drawer awaiting the day when she will deposit the contents of her suitcases into it—are the most benign, comforting sounds in the world.» –The Rug Merchant. Viking Penguin, 2006
Which word or phrase is the complete subject?
A complete subject is the main word or words including any modifiers “doing” the action of the sentence.
What is complete subject and complete predicate?
The complete subject includes all the words that tell whom or what the sentence is about. • The complete predicate includes all the words that tell what the subject is, has, does, or feels.
What word usually starts the complete predicate?
verb
What is the predicate of a sentence?
A subject is the noun or pronoun-based part of a sentence, and a predicate is the verb-based part that the subject performs.
What is the difference between simple predicate and complete predicate?
The simple predicate (simple verb) is a single word (or group of words if a verb phrase) representing the verb without any of its modifiers whereas a complete predicate refers to the predicate/verb as well as all of its modifiers.
What’s the difference between a verb and a predicate?
A verb is a word class. And subject and predicate are the two main parts of a sentence. The predicate consists of a verb and its object(s) or when the verb is a linking verb as to be of verb and complement. A sentence makes a statement, a complete statement, and consists of the two parts, subject and predicate.
How do you teach predicates?
Introduction
- Give the definition for subject, the person or thing being discussed in a sentence, and for predicate, the part of the sentence containing a verb and discussing the subject.
- Write an example sentence on the board and underline the subject once and the predicate twice.
What is predicate adjective examples?
A predicate adjective is one of many different types of adjectives. Basically, predicate adjectives modify the subject of the sentence. In the sentence “The wall is purple,” the subject is “wall,” the predicate adjective is “purple” and the linking verb is “is.” So, it’s subject, verb, and predicate adjective.