In the sentence, "The king reigns," king is the subject, and reigns is the predicate. The Subject. 1. The subject may be simply a noun or its equivalent; as, Peter wept; I go; to err is human. 2. The subject may consist of two or more nouns or pronouns so connected that the predicate cannot affirm of each individually; as, He and I met; England and Scotland form the kingdom of Great Britain. 3. The simple subject may be enlarged by modifying words; as, A great storm arose; to forgive readily is the mark of an amiable disposition. 4. The simple subject may be enlarged by words placed in apposition to it; as, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, year 1087. died in the 5. The simple subject may be enlarged by the possessive; as, Man's days are but a span. 6. The simple subject may be enlarged by prepositional phrases; as, Persons of a quarrelsome disposition are dangerous associates. 7. The simple subject may be enlarged by participial phrases; as, The vessel, having encountered a storm, was completely wrecked; he, perceiving its necessity, submitted to the operation. The Predicate. 1. The predicate may be simply an intransitive verb or a verb passive; as, The eagle soars; they slumbered; the door was locked. 2. The simple predicate may be enlarged by modifying words or phrases; as, The enemy advanced in good order with great rapidity; gold is obtained abundantly in California. 3. The simple predicate may be enlarged by words or phrases modifying the subject; as, John is attentive to his studies; the prisoner stands acquitted of the crime; the soldier was considered worthy of promotion. 4. The simple predicate may be enlarged by words placed in apposition to the subject; as, A foolish son is a grief to his father; the principal writer of the Psalms was David, King of Israel; the lion is called the king of beasts; he was elected a member of Parliament. 5. The predicate, when a transitive verb, requires an object to complete it; as, Winds clear the air. The Object. 1. The object of the transitive verb may be simply a noun or a pronoun; as, Diligence brings wealth; extravagance ruined him. 2. The object may be enlarged by modifying words or phrases; as, The industrious husbandman tills the fruitful earth; the heat of the sun brings to maturity the fruits of the earth. 3. The object of the transitive verb may be simply an infinitive; as, He desired to go; they learned to dance. 4. The object may be an infinitive with words modifying or governed by it; as, The man undertook to finish the work in three days. 5. The transitive verb often requires an indirect object to complete the sense; as, He gave the book to the boy; the farmer in spring prepares the ground for seed. Adjuncts. The modifying words, or phrases, forming part of the subject, predicate, or object, are often termed Adjuncts. |