A basic unit of language is a word. Examples: car, dog, sun A group of related words can be a phrase.

Examples: shiny new car; snarling, angry dog; in the bright sun

When the group of words contains a subject and a verb, it is called a clause. When the word group has a subject and a verb and makes sense by itself, it is called a sentence or an independent clause.

Example: Students will succeed.

When the word group has a subject and a verb, but contains a subordinating conjunction (because, although, after, etc.) and does not make sense by itself, it is called a dependent clause.

Example: Because students will succeed

Verbs are words that express some kind of action or being. Action verbs:

We walk to the store every Tuesday. The children ran to South Beach.

There can be more than one verb in a sentence:

Shannon planned and practiced her speech. Anastasia bought the ingredients, prepared the brownies, and gave them to Sean.

Verbs are words that express some kind of action or being. Verbs about the five sensessight, touch, taste, smell, soundare called being verbs. Being verbs: My mother is a good cook. The family seems happy. The homemade bread smells delicious.

Helping verbs are placed in front of the main verb (the action or being verb). List of frequently used helping verbs: is, am, are, was, were, do must, might, have, has, shall, will, can, could, may should, would. Examples of helping verbs: I was watching the Super Bowl. (The helping verb is was.) You should have called me (The helping verbs are should and have.) The president can select his assistants. (The helping verb is can.) Leroy will graduate in May. (The helping verb is will.)

After you recognize verbs, finding the subjects of sentences is easy because subjects and verbs are linked. If the verb is an action verb, the subject will be the word or words that answer the question, Who or what is doing the action? Example sentence: The truck stalled on the highway. Step 1: Identify the verb: stalled. Step 2: Ask, Who or What stalled?: truck Step 3: The answer is the subject: The truck stalled on the highway. Answer: The subject is truck.

If your verb expresses being, the same steps apply to finding the subject. Example sentence: Toll was my best friend. Step 1: Identify the verb: was Step 2: Ask, Who or What was my best friend?: Toll Step 3: The answer is the subject: Toll was my best friend. Answer: The subject is Toll.

Just as there can be two or more verbs in a sentence, there can be more than one subject in a sentence. Examples:

Do not include descriptive words as the subject. Example:

Kristin, Tracy, and Stella planned a surprise party. My father, sister, and I built a fence.

The dark blue gown looked lovely on Catherine. Gown is the subject; dark and blue are adjectives that describe the gown.

Prepositions are usually small words that often signal a kind of position or possession. Common Prepositions:
about before above below across behind after beneath among beside around between at beyond during except for from in inside into like near of off on onto over through to toward under up upon with within without

A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition and its object. In each example, the first word is the preposition; the other words are the object of the preposition.
Prepositional Phrase examples:

about the movie around the corner between two lanes over the moors near my home

under the carpet off the record on the mark during the colleges recess with my sister and brother

Nothing in a prepositional phrase can ever be the subject of the sentence. Prepositional phrases describe people, places, or things. They may describe the subject of a sentence, but they never include the subject.

When we speak, we often use a very simple word order:

First, the subject; then, the verb.

Prepositional phrases can change the word order.

Example: We are going to the store. Subject: we Verbs: are going

Example: Among the contestants was an older man. Prepositional phrase: Among the contestants Subject: man Verb: was You can change the word order of the sentence to see the subject and verb:

An older man was among the contestants.

The expected word order of subject first, then verb, changes when a sentence begins with There is/are, There was/were, Here is/are, Here was/were. In such cases, look for the subject after the verb. Example: There are a bakery and a pharmacy down the street. Subjects: bakery, pharmacy Verb: are To understand this pattern, try changing the word order to find the subject:

A bakery and a pharmacy are there, down the street.

Questions May Have a Different Word Order. The main verb and the helping verb may not be next to each other.
Example: Do you like pizza? Subject: you Verbs: Do, like

A few words look like verbs, but they are not.

Words that are not verbs: always, often, nearly, rarely, never, ever, not Example: They havent raced in years. Verbs: have, raced (not is NOT part of the verb)

Be careful with contractions.

Pronoun test to recognize a main verb Combine the word you think is a verb with the pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) to create a complete sentence. Example: I never drive to the store.

The word drive is the verb proved from the pronoun test: I drive, you drive, he drives, she drives, it drives, we drive, they drive The word never is NOT the verb (its an adverb.) proved from the pronoun test: I never, you never, he never, she never, it never, we never, they never. It describes when not an action.

Verb forms (participles, infinitives) are not main verbs. The ing word ending is not always a verb as proved by the pronoun test. When ing words are verbs they are preceded by a helping verb. Example participle: Amy likes swimming.

The word (participle) swimming is NOT a verb as proved from the pronoun test: I swimming, you swimming, he swimming, she swimming, it swimming, we swimming, they swimming The word likes is a verb as proved from the pronoun test: I like, you like, he likes, she likes, it likes, we like, they like

Verb forms (participles, infinitives) are not main verbs. Example infinitive: Marietta wants to learn French.

The words to learn (infinitive) are NOT a verb as proved from the pronoun test: I to learn, you to learn, he to learn, she to learn, it to learn, we to learn, they to learn The word wants is a verb as proved from the pronoun test: I want, you want, he wants, she wants, it wants, we want, they want

Identify the verbs.

Q. My brother rides a motorcycle. A. rides Q. On a stormy night, my dog sleeps next to me. A. sleeps

Q. He stretched and yawned during the discussion. A. stretched, yawned

Identify the verbs.

Q. Sliding down into the pool was my favorite summertime activity. A. was Q. During the holidays, I always listen to Mario Lanza. A. listen Q. Diane and Ron live and work in the upstairs apartment. A. live, work

Add a helping verb to the verb and create a sentence.

Q. Verb: called A. Add helping verb: was called A. Sentence: He was called during class. Q. Verb: fishing A. Add helping verb: should be fishing A. Sentence: She should be fishing by this afternoon.

Add a helping verb to the verb and create a sentence.

Q. Verb: take A. Add helping verb: might have taken A. Janet might have taken the ring from Brad. Q. Verb: sing A. Add helping verb: will be singing A. Dr. Scott will be singing with Brad and Janet.

Identify the subjects.

Q. Swimming is fun. A. swimming Q. Mom and Dad want me to be happy. A. Mom, Dad

Q. Behind the curtain under the ceramic giraffe is a big diamond ring. A. ring

Identify the subjects.

Q. After the interview for the new job, excitement overwhelmed me. A. excitement Q. Anything could happen on a vacation to Grandmas house. A. anything Q. After eating ice cream and chocolate cake, I was not in the mood for more food. A. I

Identify the Prepositional Phrases.

Q. During the colleges recess, we were able to find part-time jobs in the city. A. during the colleges recess, in the city
Q. Near my apartment, I found a stray puppy at the park. A. near my apartment, at the park Q. When I was watching the game on television, my friend brought me a soda from the neighborhood store. A. on television, from the neighborhood store

Identify the Prepositional Phrases.

Q. From my apartment window, I can see the people in the shops and people on the streets. A. from my apartment window, in the shops, on the streets Q. In the locker under my math book, I have a piece of gum by the candy bar. A. in the locker, under my math book, of gum, by the candy bar Q. After the game at the park, lets buy a chocolate sundae on the boardwalk. A. after the game, at the park, on the boardwalk

Identify Prepositional Phrases, Subjects, and Verbs in Complicated Word Order.

Q. In the back of the closet by the shoes is a secret letter from my cousin. A. Prepositional Phrase = in the back, of the closet, by the shoes, from my cousin Subject = letter Verb = is

Identify Prepositional Phrases, Subjects, and Verbs in Complicated Word Order.

Q. In my kitchen on the refrigerator there is a magnet with a small green frog near a lily pad. A. Prepositional Phrase = in my kitchen, on the refrigerator, with a small green frog, near a lily pad Subject = magnet Verb = is