English grammar of WREN & MARTIN made easy

 

SUBJECT AND PREDICATE

Exercise 1: Sentences 11–20

11. Edison invented the phonograph.

  • Verb: invented

  • Ask: Who invented? -> Edison. (Subject)

  • Explanation: Edison is the "doer" of the action. The rest of the sentence tells us what he did.

  • Predicate: invented the phonograph.

12. The sea hath many pearls.

(Note: "Hath" is an older form of "has".)

  • Verb: hath

  • Ask: What hath many pearls? -> The sea. (Subject)

  • Explanation: We are talking about the sea. The predicate describes what the sea possesses.

  • Predicate: hath many pearls.

13. The whistling of the wind frightened us.

  • Verb: frightened

  • Ask: What frightened us? -> The whistling of the wind. (Subject)

  • Explanation: It isn't just "the wind" or "the whistling" alone, but the entire phrase that acts as the subject.

  • Predicate: frightened us.

14. Bad boys hide their faults.

  • Verb: hide

  • Ask: Who hide? -> Bad boys. (Subject)

  • Explanation: "Bad boys" is the specific group being discussed.

  • Predicate: hide their faults.

15. The singing of the birds delights us.

(Note: This is very similar to sentence #5.)

  • Verb: delights

  • Ask: What delights us? -> The singing of the birds. (Subject)

  • Explanation: The action of the birds singing is the thing that causes the delight.

  • Predicate: delights us.

16. Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan.

  • Verb: is

  • Ask: What is the capital? -> Islamabad. (Subject)

  • Explanation: Islamabad is the specific noun being defined in this sentence.

  • Predicate: is the capital of Pakistan.

17. We should profit by experience.

  • Verb: should profit

  • Ask: Who should profit? -> We. (Subject)

  • Explanation: "We" is the pronoun representing the people who need to take the action.

  • Predicate: should profit by experience.

18. All matter is indestructible.

  • Verb: is

  • Ask: What is indestructible? -> All matter. (Subject)

  • Explanation: We are making a statement about the nature of "all matter."

  • Predicate: is indestructible.

19. Islamabad is a beautiful city.

  • Verb: is

  • Ask: What is a beautiful city? -> Islamabad. (Subject)

  • Predicate: is a beautiful city.

20. No man can serve two masters.

  • Verb: can serve

  • Ask: Who cannot serve? -> No man. (Subject)

  • Explanation: Even though it is a negative, "No man" is the subject we are discussing.

  • Predicate: can serve two masters.


Summary Table for Quick Reference

Sentence #SubjectPredicate
11Edisoninvented the phonograph
12The seahath many pearls
13The whistling of the windfrightened us
14Bad boyshide their faults
15The singing of the birdsdelights us
16Islamabadis the capital of Pakistan
17Weshould profit by experience
18All matteris indestructible
19Islamabadis a beautiful city
20No mancan serve two masters

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