The parts of a sentence
To find the subject, ask who or what does the action. To find a direct object, ask who or what receives it.
| Part | What it does | Example (part in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Names who or what the sentence is about | The train left. |
| Predicate | Says something about the subject | The train left at noon. |
| Direct object | Receives the action | She read the book. |
| Indirect object | Receives the direct object | She gave him a book. |
| Complement | Describes the subject or object | He is a nurse. They made her happy. |
| Adverbial | Says when, where, how or why | We met in Delhi. |
Five basic sentence patterns
Most English sentences are built on one of these patterns, with extra details added.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject + verb | The baby slept. |
| Subject + verb + object | Maya plays tennis. |
| Subject + verb + complement | The soup is hot. |
| Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object | He sent me a message. |
| Subject + verb + object + complement | The news made us happy. |
Commands and hidden subjects
In a command, the subject you is understood rather than written: "Sit down" means "You sit down." English otherwise needs a stated subject, so write "It is raining", not "Is raining".
Common mistakes
Wrong: Is important to study.
Right: It is important to study.
English sentences need a stated subject.
Wrong: The results very good.
Right: The results were very good.
A sentence needs a verb.
Wrong: The list of items are long.
Right: The list of items is long.
The subject is list, which is singular, not items.
Using this in IELTS and PTE
Missing verbs and subjects are basic errors that can pull down a writing score. In long IELTS and PTE sentences, find the real subject before choosing the verb: "The number of students has risen." PTE Summarize Written Text asks for one sentence, so make sure yours has a clear subject and a main verb.
5 questions
Exercise
Try each one, then open it to check your answer.
1. Find the subject: "The old bridge collapsed."
The old bridge
It tells you what the sentence is about.
2. Find the direct object: "Sara bought a laptop."
a laptop
It receives the action.
3. Find the indirect object: "He told us a story."
us
We receive the story.
4. Object or complement? "She is a pilot."
Complement.
It describes the subject after a linking verb.
5. Correct this: "Was very cold yesterday."
It was very cold yesterday.
The subject is missing.
Frequently asked questions
What are the two main parts of a sentence?+
The subject and the predicate.
Does every sentence need an object?+
No. Only some verbs need one. "She laughed" is complete without an object.
Are parts of a sentence the same as parts of speech?+
No. Parts of speech classify words, such as nouns and verbs. Parts of a sentence describe the job they do, such as subject or object.
Keep going
More grammar lessons
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