Subject and predicate, with examples

Find the main verb, then ask who or what does it. In "The price of vegetables has risen", ask "What has risen?" The answer is the price, so price is the simple subject and the verb is singular.

In questions, the subject often comes after the helping verb: in "Has the train left?", the train is the subject. Turn the question into a statement ("The train has left") to see it.

In sentences beginning with there is or there are, there fills the subject position, but the verb agrees with the noun that follows: "There is a problem" and "There are two problems".

In a command, the subject you is understood: "Please sit down." Outside commands, English needs a written subject, even when it carries no real meaning: "It is raining" and "It is important to rest".

Many languages, including Hindi, Urdu and Spanish, can leave the subject out. English can't, so "Is very hot today" must be "It is very hot today".

• Wrong: Is difficult to find a flat in Mumbai.

  Right: It is difficult to find a flat in Mumbai.

  English needs a stated subject. Use it as a placeholder.

• Wrong: The quality of the roads are poor.

  Right: The quality of the roads is poor.

  The simple subject is quality, which is singular. Roads belongs to the phrase after of.

• Wrong: My father he works in a bank.

  Right: My father works in a bank.

  Don't repeat the subject with a pronoun.

• Wrong: There is many reasons for this.

  Right: There are many reasons for this.

  The verb agrees with the noun after there: reasons is plural.

Subject and verb errors are among the most frequent grammar slips in IELTS and PTE writing, and long subjects cause most of them: "The number of cars on the roads has doubled." Before you write the verb, find the simple subject. In PTE Summarize Written Text, check that your one sentence has a clear subject and a main verb, not just a long noun phrase.

Try each one, then open it to check your answer.

1. 1. Find the complete subject: "The students in the back row were chatting."

   The students in the back row

   It names who was chatting, with all its describing words.

2. 2. Find the simple predicate: "Our flight has been delayed by fog."

   has been delayed

   The main verb with its helping verbs.

3. 3. Find the subject: "Where did your parents meet?"

   your parents

   As a statement: your parents met there.

4. 4. Choose: "There (is / are) several cafés near the station."

   are

   The verb agrees with the noun after there, and cafés is plural.

5. 5. Correct this: "The list of names are on the wall."

   The list of names is on the wall.

   The simple subject is list, so the verb is singular.

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