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1.16: Structure - Verbes et sujets

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    104353

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    Objectif

    In this section, you will learn how to identify subjects and verbs in sentences.

    On étudie !

    It is nearly impossible to talk without using verbs, so understanding how they work is key. Let's take a closer look.

    (a) A verb (verbe) is almost always used to describe an action, for example: "to laugh", "to drink", "to wonder" and "to write".

    I "laugh".

    Marie "sings" songs.

    They "wonder" about their friends.

    Jean "writes" a lot.

    (b) A subject (sujet) performs the action conveyed by the verb. In the examples above, the subjects are: "I", "Marie", "They", and "Jean".

    (c) Some verbs are called "linking verbs" (e.g., "to be") because they "link" a subject to a noun or adjective:

    Subject + verb + noun => That woman "is" a professor.

    Subject + verb + adjective(s) => That woman "is" tall and brunette.  

    Compare, for example, "You eat tacos" (eat = action verb) to "You are a nice person" (are = linking verb).

    (d) A subject (s.) can be simple or complex:

    simple s. verb => "The dog" eats steak.

    complex s. verb => "The only thing I need to get the job done" is a computer.

    This page titled 1.16: Structure - Verbes et sujets is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by William J. Carrasco, Shahrzad Zahedi, & Caren Barnezet Parrish.