If you're learning English, you may have come across the term "simple subject." It can be a bit confusing, especially if you're not familiar with grammar terms. But don't worry – in this reference, we'll explain what a simple subject is, how to identify it in a sentence, and how to use it properly.

What is a Simple Subject?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, let's define what we mean by "simple subject." Simply put, the simple subject is the main noun or pronoun in a sentence. It is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about.

For example, in the sentence "The dod is sleeping," the simple subject is "dog." It is the focus of the sentence and performs the action of sleeping. In another example, "She gave him the book," the simple subject is "she." It is the person performing the action of giving.

Examples of Simple Subjects

To better understand what a simple subject is, let's look at some more examples:

• The sun is shining.
• They are playing soccer.
• My favorite color is blue.
• The movie was boring.
• The restaurant serves delicious food.

In each of these sentences, the simple subject is underlined. It's the main noun in English or pronoun that the sentence is about.

How to Identify the simple subject in a sentence

Identifying the simple subject in a sentence is easy once you know what to look for. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Find the verb: The verb is the action word in the sentence. It tells you what your subject is doing. For example, in the sentence "The dog is barking," the verb is "barking."
2. Ask who or what is performing the action: In the example above, who is barking? The dog.
3. The noun or pronoun that answers the question in step 2 is the simple subject: Therefore, in the sentence "The dog is barking," the simple subject is "dog."

Let's try another example: "The children are playing outside."

1. Find the verb: The verb is "playing."
2. Who or what is playing? - The children.

So, in the sentence "The children are playing outside," the simple subject is "children."

Simple Subject vs. Compound Subject: What's the Difference?

A compound subject is when there are two or more simple subjects in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "John and Sarah went to the store," the compound subject is "John and Sarah." They are both performing the action of going to the store.

Simply put, a simple subject is one noun or pronoun, while a compound subject is two or more.

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How to use simple subjects in English

Now that you know what a simple subject is and how to identify it, let's talk about how to use it properly in English.

1. Use the correct subject-verb agreement. This means that the verb must agree with the subject in number. For example, in the sentence "My dad is at work," the singular verb "is" agrees with the singular subject "dad."
2. Use descriptive adjectives to help clarify the simple subject. For example, in the sentence "The big, black dog is barking," the adjectives "big" and "black" describe the simple subject "dog."
3. Use active voice to make your sentences more clear and concise. For example, instead of saying "The book was read by her," say "She read the book."

Simple subject examples list

Here is a simple list of random simple subjects you may see in English sentences:

• Dog
• Cat
• Elephant
• Teacher
• Student
• Tree
• Car
• Computer
• Pizza
• Love

Summary

A simple subject is the main noun or pronoun in a sentence. To identify it, find the verb and ask who or what is performing the action. The noun or pronoun that answers the question is the simple subject. Simple subjects should agree with their verbs in number, can be described with adjectives, and are best used in active voice. Now that you understand how to find it, why not point out the subject in a few sentences of your own?