Question

How do you figure out the subject, the predicate and the direct object in a sentence?

Answer 1

Hint: So we are talking parts of a sentence now and there's three main parts that you're going to want to know anytime you're breaking down a sentence; you're going to want to know the subject, the predicate and the object and this will really help you in a lot of ways. The reason we break down sentences to their different parts is so we can start working on subject verb agreement, we can start taking a look at the different kinds of sentences we have in our writing and we can also look at how different words are working in those sentences, so it's really important to have an understanding of the basics.

Complete answer:
Subject- The subject of a sentence is a person, place, thing, or idea. It’s always doing or being something. In the example, “I like to travel,” the subject (I) is doing something — liking to travel. If you’re ever unsure about the subject of a sentence, see if you can locate the verb. Then, ask yourself who or what is doing or being that verb.

Let’s look at an example.
The carpet in the living room must be vacuumed.
The verb “vacuumed” is pointing toward the carpet. Therefore, “carpet” is the subject of the sentence.

Predicate- Predicates point toward the subject of the sentence, too. Sounds like the role of a verb, right? After all, verbs indicate what the subject is doing or being.

The close link between verbs and predicates is no mistake. In fact, predicates always contain a verb. However, they also contain a couple other elements. Those elements may include the verb, direct object, or any other clauses or phrases. In short, a sentence has two parts: the subject and everything else (the predicate).

Let’s take a look at an example.
Sharon sang the song.
“Sharon” is the subject. The verb is “sang” and the direct object of the verb is “the song.” This makes the entire predicate of the sentence “sang the song.”

Direct object- Unlike predicates, an object is not essential. Predicates are an essential part of a sentence because they contain verbs. Objects, however, provide further information that isn’t necessarily required. They are helpful, though, because they further explain the action of the verb.

Example: Katherine walked her dog.
Here, “Katherine” is the subject and “walked” is the verb. But, Katherine walked what? The answer is “her dog.” Again, objects expand verbs. This sentence didn’t simply read “Katherine walked.” Rather, it provides further detail, thanks to the object of the verb “her dog.”

Note: The parts of the sentence are a set of terms for describing how people construct sentences from smaller pieces. There is not a direct correspondence between the parts of the sentence and the parts of speech - the subject of a sentence, for example, could be a noun, a pronoun, or even an entire phrase or clause. Like the parts of speech, however, the parts of the sentence form part of the basic vocabulary of grammar.