Tofel

Subject

The subject is the agent of the sentence in the active voice. It is the person or thing that performs or it is responsible for the action of the sentence and it normally precedes the verb. Note every sentence in English must have a subject. (In the case of commands, the subject [you] is understood.) the subject may be a single noun.

Coffee is delicious

Milk contains calcium

The subject may be a noun phrase. A noun phrase is a group of words ending with a noun. (it cannot begin with a  preposition.)

The book is on the table

The new red car is john’s

Examples of subjects:

We girls are not going to that movie.

George likes boats.

Mary, john, George, and I went to a restaurant last night

The weather was very bad yesterday.

The chemistry professor canceled class today

The bank closed at two o’clock

It can act as a pronoun for a noun or can be the subject of an impersonal verb. As the subject of an impersonal verb, the pronoun is not actually used in place of a noun, but is part of an idiomatic expression.

It rains quite often here in the summer

It is hard to believe that he is dead.

In some sentences, the true subject does not appear in normal subject position. There can act as a pseudo-subject and is treated like a subject appears after the verb, and the number of the true subject controls the verb.

There   was    a fire   in that building last month.

Was   there  a fire  in that building last month?

There were many students in the room.

Were there many students in the room?

Verb

The verb follows the subject in a declarative sentence; it generally shows the action of the sentence. Note: every sentence must have a verb. The verb may be a single word.

John drives too fast

They hate spinach

The verb may be a verb phrase. A verb phrase consists of one of more auxiliaries and one main verb. The auxiliaries always precede the main verb.

Jhon is going to Miami tomorrow.

John has been reading that book

Example of verbs and verb phrases

She will go to Boston next week

Jane is very tall

She must have gone to the bank

Joe has gone home

Mary is watching television

It was raining at six o’clock last night 

Complement

A complement completes the verb. It is similar to the subject because it is usually a noun or noun phrase; however, it generally follows the verb when the sentence is in the active voice.

Note every sentence does not require a complement. The complement cannot begin with a preposition. A complement answers the question what? Or whom?

Examples of complements….

John bought a cake yesterday.  (What did john buy?)

Jill was driving a new car.        What was jill driving?

He wants to drink some water.      What does he want to drink?

She saw john at the movies last night.  Whom did she see at the movies?

They called Mary yesterday.                 Whom did they call yesterday?

He was smoking a cigarette                   what was he smoking?

Modifier

A modifier tells the time, place or manner of the action. Very often it is a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase is group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun. Note: a modifier of time usually comes last if more than one modifier is present.

Examples of prepositional phrase:

In the morning, at the university, on the table

A modifier can also be an adverb or an adverbial phrase.

Last night, hurriedly, next year, outdoors, yesterday

Note: every sentence does not require a modifier. A modifier answers the question when? Where? Or how?

Example of modifier

1.    John bought a book at the bookstore.

2.    Jill was swimming in the pool yesterday.

3.    He was driving very fast

4.    The milk is in the refrigerator

5.    She drove the car on main street

6.     we ate dinner at seven o’clock

1.    Where did john buy a book?

2.    Where was Jill swimming?

When was Jill swimming?

3.    How was he driving?

4.    Where is the milk?

5.    Where did she drive?

6.    When did we eat dinner?

 

Note: the modifier normally follows the complement, but no always. However, especially when it is a prepositional phrase,

usually can’t separate the verb and the complement.

Incorrect: she drove (verb) on the street the car (complement)

Correct: she drove(verb)  the car (complement)on the street