Having previously introduced the subject in a previous post, we shall now proceed to how to identify the subject in a sentence.
The subject is the performer of the action in the sentence. In addition, the subject will answer the question WHO or WHAT before the verb in a sentence. This definition will help a lot to identify the subject in a sentence. Let's use the definition to identify the subject in a few examples.
i. Dayo is my friend.
Let's apply the definition. How would you know the subject in a sentence? It will answer the question who or what before the verb in a sentence, isn't it? Yes! In the example above, to know the subject, we therefore will ask: Who is my friend? And the answer is? Dayo! Good. Let's take another example.
ii. The man has a dog.
To apply the definition, we just would ask: Who has a dog? The answer is obvious, isn't it? Why not write it out. Please note that the subject is The man, not man. Please take note.
The following can function as subject in the sentence.
i. Proper nouns
ii. Nouns (in this case, Plural Nouns)
iii. Pronouns
iv. Gerund (Nouns formed from Verbs)
v. Noun phrase
vi. Noun clause
1. Proper nouns as subject
Messi is skilful.
(Who is skilful?)
Nelson Mandela is revered all over the world.
(WHO is revered all over the world?)
Theresa May is the second female British Prime Minister.
2. Plural nouns as subject
Boys are usually stubborn.
(WHO are very stubborn?)
Teachers are indispensable.
(WHO are indispensable?)
How does it sound to say, Boy is usually stubborn? Except you would say, The boy is usually stubborn, in which case the subject--the boy--would be a noun phrase. That is why it is the plural noun, not singular noun, that is to be used as subject. Understood? Good! 👍🏿
3. Pronouns as subject
He is very stubborn.
(WHO is very stubborn?)
They arrived yesterday.
(WHO arrived yesterday?)
4. Gerund as subject
Cooking is my hobby.
(WHAT is my hobby?)
Reading is a good habit to form.
(WHAT is a good habit?)
Please note that cooking as used in the sentence above is not functioning as a verb but as a noun. Do you know the reason? It's simple! It is because it answers the question WHAT. Another simple way to recognise gerund functioning as subject is to replace the gerund with the pronoun 'it' in the sentence.
Cooking is my hobby.
(It is my hobby.)
Reading is a good habit to form.
(It is a good habit to form.)
5. The noun phrase
The noun phrase/noun clause functions as subject when it answers the question WHO/WHAT before the verb in a sentence. Generally, though, the subject has been said to be the performer of the action in a sentence.
The following are examples of the noun phrase functioning as subject.
(Please note that the answer to each of the questions underneath the given sentences is the subject.)
That boy is very stubborn.
(WHO is very stubborn?)
The young man is a doctor.
(WHO is a doctor?)
The principal of my school is a disciplinarian.
(WHO is a disciplinarian?)
6. The noun clause
Whoever did this will have himself to blame!
(WHO will have himself to blame?)
That he failed an exam is not the end of the world.
(WHAT is not the end of the world?)
The robbers who stole a car on the banking premises have been apprehended.
(WHO have been apprehended?)
What the woman did to her househelp is terrible!
(WHAT is terrible?)
One way to identify the noun clause when functioning as subject in a sentence is that it can be replaced by at least one of the following pronouns: he, she, it, they, appropriately.
Whoever did this will have himself to blame!
(He will have himself to blame.)
That he failed an exam is not the end of the world.
(It is not the end of the world.)
The robbers who stole a car on the banking premises have been apprehended.
(They have been apprehended.)
What the woman did to her househelp is terrible!
(It is terrible.)
For questions, comments and any other enquiries, the blogger, Olabanji O. Odurombi, can be contacted on 08037699294 (SMS, Voice call, or WhatsApp).
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