The verb of a sentence makes some assertion about the
subject. Another way of expressing
this idea is to say that the subject answers a question made up of who or
what and the verb. In the
sentence The ship was named after Queen Elizabeth, if we ask the question
who or what was named, we find that the subject is ship. In the sentence The heavy snow blocked the road for miles,
if we ask the question who or what blocked the roads, we find that the
subject is the heavy snow. Notice
that the word there is never the subject, that sometimes subjects are
compound, and that sometimes subjects come after verbs.
Underline the subjects of the following sentences.
1. In 1997,
the company’s business increased a great deal.
2. The ball
traveled only about twenty-five yards to midfield.
3. Since high
school Edith, has been going steady with Ed.
4. Both hockey
and lacrosse are widely played in Canada.
5. There were
several reasons for Lee’s objection to the plan.
6. Either a
bus or a taxi is sure to come along soon.
7. The
building of the church was interrupted by labor disputes.
8. A list of
books dealing with career choices is available.
9. Across the
river is the little Iowa town of West Glen.
10. The book
was a massive volume of over a thousand pages.
11. Painting a
car is a very difficult job for an amateur.
12. More than
ten people were injured in the rush for the exits.
13. Dimes and
nickels are placed in the second slot.
14. There have
been many radio appeals to stay out of the area.
15. The packet
containing the papers was stolen at the office.
