28 Grammar Review: Parts of a Sentence

Subject & Predicate

Every sentence has a subject and a predicate. The simple subject of a sentence is the noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause the sentence is about, and the simple predicate is action being done by the simple subject. We can also divide a sentence into the complete subject and the complete predicate by drawing a straight vertical line in between the simple subject and the simple predicate. In the examples below, the simple subject is in bold and the predicate is in bold italics.

Direct Object

A direct object—a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a noun—takes the action of the main verb (e.g., the verb is happening to the object). A direct object can be identified by asking what? about the verb/predicate. In the example below, we would ask “The pencil contains what?” The answer, “workings,” is the direct object.

Indirect Object

An indirect object—a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a noun—receives the action expressed in the sentence. It can be identified by asking to or for whom of the direct object. In the example below, we would ask “For whom is the walkway being designed?” The answer, “citizens” is our indirect object.

Phrases and Clauses

Phrases and clauses are groups of words that act as a unit and perform a single function within a sentence. A phrase may have a partial subject or verb but not both; a clause has both a subject and a verb. There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. An independent clause is free to stand by itself–it functions as a complete sentence. A dependent clause, however, is dependent on something else: it cannot stand on its own. Any clause with a subordinating conjunction (like when or since) is a dependent clause. For example “I was a little girl in 1995” is an independent clause, but “Because I was a little girl in 1995” is a dependent clause. Clauses that start with relative pronouns, like which, also become dependent clauses.

Adverbial Clause

An adverbial clause functions like an adverb. It modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. For example, in the sentence, “The dog eats when he is hungry,” the clause “when he is hungry” modifies the verb “eats.” It tells us when the dog eats. Because “when he is hungry” has both a subject and a verb, it is a clause, not a phrase. Since it can’t stand alone (it starts with a subordinating conjunction), it is a dependent clause.

In another example, in the sentence, “Having done his best, the student submitted his test,” the phrase “Having done his best” tells us about the subject, “the student,” and about the predicate, “submitted his test.” The phrase only has a predicate, so it is a phrase, not a clause. Since it modifies the entire sentence, it’s an absolute phrase.

Active and Passive Voice

There are two main “voices” in English writing: the active voice and the passive voice. In the simplest terms, an active voice sentence is written in the form of “A does B.” (For example, “Carmen sings the song.”) A passive voice sentence is written in the form of “B is done by A.” (For example, “The song is sung by Carmen.”) Both constructions are grammatically sound and correct, but writing is generally strongest with the active voice.

Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that behaves as an adjective or an adverb, modifying a noun or a verb. Prepositional phrases contain a preposition (a word that specifies place, direction, or time) and an object of the preposition (a noun phrase or pronoun that follows the preposition). In general, a prepositional phrase follows this format: Preposition + article/adjective + noun/pronoun. For example, “on the box” is a prepositional phrase. In fact, thinking of all the things you can do in relation to a box gives a good understanding of prepositional phrases: under the box, over the box, in the box, around the box, to the box, from the box, through the box ….

The following table lists some of the most common prepositions.

Appositives

An appositive is a word or group of words that describes or renames a noun or pronoun. Incorporating appositives into your writing is a useful way of combining sentences that are too short and choppy. An appositive may be placed anywhere in a sentence, but it must come directly before or after the noun to which it refers:

Appositive after noun: Scott, a poorly trained athlete, was not expected to win the race.

Appositive before noun: A poorly trained athlete, Scott was not expected to win the race. Unlike relative clauses, appositives are always punctuated by a comma or a set commas. Take a look at the way Naomi uses appositives to include additional facts in her essay.

Attributions:

Adapted from “Mini Grammar Review: Parts of a Sentence” created by Dr. Karen Palmer. Last edited 5/28/2020. Licensed under CC BY NC.

Other content in this section has been adapted from the following sources and is likewise licensed:

• Text: Parts of a Sentence. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
• Basic Patterns and Elements of the Sentence. Authored by: David McMurrey. Located at: https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/twsent.html. License: CC BY: Attribution
• The Passive versus Active Voice Dilemma. Authored by: Joe Schall. Provided by: The Pennsylvania State University. Located at: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/c1_p11.html. License: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• “Starting a sentence with a Prepositional Phrase” License: CC NC SA.
• “Joining Ideas using an Appositive” License CC NC SA.