4.2: Identifying Subjects and Verbs in Sentences

Identifying verbs

Remember that a complete sentence in English must have a subject and a verb and express a complete idea. The verb must also agree with its subject. In this chapter, we will look at some of the rules for subject-verb agreement.

In order to create effective sentences in English, students need to be able to identify both subjects and verbs. Most of the time the subject comes before the verb in sentences, but it is often easier to identify subjects and verbs by first finding the verb. Many verbs express actions, but some verbs are stative and do not express action. There are also words that express action but do not act as a verb in a sentence. Look at the following sentences and identify the action word in each:

1. Reading is important for vocabulary development.
2. Reading was important for vocabulary development.
3. Reading will be important for vocabulary development.

Although reading is an action word, it is not the verb in the above sentences. In each sentence, the verb be is the verb. In the first sentence, the verb be is in present tense/present time. In the second sentence, the verb be is in past tense/past time. And in the third sentence, the verb be is in future time. (Note: Actions words like reading are called gerunds. We will talk more about them later in this chapter.)

Luckily, there is an easier way to identify verbs in sentences. Since all English sentences have verbs in some tense or time (present, past, or future), it is sometimes easier to find the verbs in sentences by changing the tense or time. The word that changes is the verb. Try it out on the following sentence in the simple present:

My daughter walks her dog in the park every day.

Change the time to the past: Yesterday, my daughter walked her dog in the park.

Change the time to the future: Tomorrow, my daughter will walk her dog in the park.

In each of these sentences, the word that changes is walk, which is the verb of each sentence.

Exercise 4.1: Identifying verbs in sentences

Go back and underline the verb in each of the previous example sentences. Tell your partner why you underlined that particular word or words. Did you and your partner underline the same words?

Verbs can also be more than one word. One example is above, when the action is changed to future time: will walk. Sentences like this contain a modal, such as: will, can, might, must, etc., and they are part of the verb:

My daughter might walk her dog before dinner.

Additionally, verbs in present progressive or past progressive contain the helping verb be and a main verb:

This month, my daughter is volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society twice a week.

Verbs in present perfect or past perfect contain the helping verb have and a main verb:

My daughter has owned her dog for five years.

Some questions or sentences with a negative element also may contain two words:

Do you own a dog?

I do not own a dog.

Exercise 4.2: Identifying more verbs in sentences

Go back and underline the verb in each of the previous example sentences.Tell your partner why you underlined that particular word or words. Did you and your partner underline the same words?

Exercise 4.3 Identifying verbs in simple present or present progressive

The sentences below all reflect present time, and the verbs are simple present or present progressive. Locate the verbs. Verbs often show action, but sometimes a verb is stative or non-action. If you have trouble locating the verb, it may be helpful to change the sentence to past tense or past time. You can imagine the sentence beginning with the word Yesterday. Once you identify the verb, underline it. After you finish, check your answers with a partner.

1. Shun is an excellent cook.
2. He plans to own a restaurant someday.
3. This term, Shun is taking business courses.
4. He is also studying English literature and mathematics as part of his degree program.
5. I am taking a math class with Shun on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
6. We usually do homework in the Math Lab in the Dye Learning Center.
7. English and mathematics are often part of degree programs at CCC.
8. Shun’s advisor regularly meets with him to provide guidance and support.

Identifying subjects and verbs

Once you are able to locate the verb(s) in sentences, it is usually easier to find the subject(s). However, don’t assume that the first noun in a sentence is the subject. To find the subject, you can ask a who or what question about the verb. See the examples below:

Example sentence 1: Jane is giving a tour of the CCC Library.
Subject question: Who is giving a tour of the CCC Library?
Answer: Jane

Example sentence 2: Biology classes are available on the Harmony campus.
Subject question: What is available on the Harmony campus?
Answer: biology classes Note: The word classes is the simple subject of the sentence. The word biology is a modifier and part of the complete subject.

Exercise 4.4: Identifying subjects and verbs in sentences

Locate the verbs in the following sentences and underline them. Then look for the subjects and circle them. Remember, the subject is generally the word in front of the verb that answers the question who or what in relation to the verb. Check your answers with a partner

1. I am taking two classes this term.
2. We are sitting in the classroom.
3. The instructor is speaking and writing on the board.
4. Two students are taking notes.
5. The class is watching a video about welding.
6. Hector wants to take a welding class.
7. Sylvia and Ericka feel shy in large classes.
8. Mathematics is one of Ekachai’s favorite subjects.
9. Dulce has taken classes at both the Oregon City and Harmony campuses.
10. My best friend’s sister takes English classes in the evening.
11. We love studying grammar.
12. Junyue and Maribel were watching a video and taking notes.
13. Gloria has an office on the Oregon City campus.
14. Ivana and Klaudia have offices on the Harmony campus.
15. Elizabeth is an academic advisor.
16. Ericka doesn’t play the piano.
17. The choir performs every Saturday.
18. My pants have a broken zipper.

Go back and look at the subjects and verbs in these sentences. What happens to the verb when two singular subjects are joined by the word and? Discuss with a partner what you see and identify some possible subject-verb agreement rules.

Exercise 4.5: Identifying more subjects and verbs in sentences

Here are some more sentences. Locate the verbs in the following sentences and underline them. Then look for the subjects and circle them. Remember, the subject is generally the word in front of the verb that answers the question who or what in relation to the verb. Check your answers with a partner.

1. The tomatoes in this salad are from my garden.
2. The color of the sunset is extremely beautiful.
3. The new skatepark at the end of the street has become quite popular.
4. My brother’s friend hangs out with some talented skaters.
5. The kitten in the tree has black stripes.
6. Up in the sky, the birds from the south are flying north.
7. Walking is a good form of exercise.
8. The people in this neighborhood plan a large event each year to celebrate the residents’ diverse backgrounds.
9. My family goes to the park once a week.
10. The baseball team practices in the afternoon.
11. Jogging and bicycling are fun activities.
12. The woman with all the dogs is my daughter.
13. Reading is fun.
14. The outline of your paper is clear.
15. The math tutors in the Dye Learning Center are very helpful.
16. The student council meets twice a month.
17. Unlike her sister, Tanya prefers text messages instead of phone calls.
18. The audience is enjoying the music.
19. For some people, playing the guitar is a hobby.

Go back and look at the subjects and verbs in these sentences.

• What happens when the subject is a gerund?
• What happens when a prepositional phrase comes between the subject and its verb?

Discuss with a partner what you see and identify some additional subject-verb agreement rules.

Exercise 4.6: Identifying more subjects and verbs in sentences

Here are some more challenging sentences. Locate the verbs in the following sentences and underline them. Then look for the subjects and circle them. Remember, the subject is generally the word in front of the verb that answers the question who or what in relation to the verb. Check your answers with a partner.

1. Someone is listening carefully.
2. Laura or Kat teaches Upper Intermediate Reading and Writing.
3. Is anyone taking a music class?
4. Neither the instructor nor the students come to the campus on Fridays.
5. Nobody was absent yesterday.
6. Either Klaudia or Ivana teaches First Year Experience in Spanish.
7. Everyone in the library is studying for finals.
8. Neither the students nor the instructor checks email on holidays.
9. Neither Helen nor I drive to school.
10. The instructor or the students listen to audiobooks.
11. Something is due at the library tomorrow.
12. Nothing is due today.
13. No one is able to study because of the loud noises outside the classroom.
14. Someone is talking on a phone in the hallway.
15. Either Mario or I have an appointment with the instructor after class.

Go back and look at the subjects and verbs in these sentences.

• What happens when two subjects are joined by the word or or nor?
• What happens when the subject is an indefinite pronoun, such as everybody, somebody, or nobody?

Discuss with a partner what you see and identify some additional subject-verb agreement rules.

Identifying subjects and verbs in there + be sentences

There is a special kind of sentence in English that does not begin with a noun. It is the there + be sentence. Look at the following two sentences:

Example sentence 1: There is a coffee shop in town.
Example sentence 2: There are two coffee shops in town.

In this type of sentence, the subject is the first noun that follows the verb. In the first example sentence, the verb is is, the singular form of the verb be. In the second example sentence, the verb is are, the plural form of the verb be. Also, the noun following the first verb is singular (coffee shop) and the noun following the second is plural (coffee shops). They are the subjects of the sentences and the reason for the difference in the verbs.

Exercise 4.7: Identifying subjects and verbs in there + be sentences

Locate the verbs in the following sentences and underline them. The verbs may indicate present, past, or future time. Then look for the subjects and circle them. Remember, the noun following the verb be is the subject of the sentence. Check your answers with a partner.

1. There are many people outside of the library.
2. There are tutors in the Dye Learning Center and Harmony West.
3. There is nothing in my backpack.
4. There is a book and several pens on the table.
5. Is there a cafeteria on the Harmony campus?
6. Yesterday, there was a group of interesting people here.
7. There was a bright bolt of lightning in the sky.
8. There were festivals in that part of town last week.
9. Is there something for me in the mailbox?
10. Are there scissors on the counter?
11. There is too little water in that lake.
12. There was good news about my scholarship application.
13. There are ants all over our kitchen.
14. There are pliers in the toolbox.
15. There’s a hole in my shorts.

Think about how you would explain to a classmate the subject-verb agreement rule when writing sentences with there + be. Share your ideas with a partner.

Exercise 4.8: Choosing the correct form of be

Read these sets of sentences. Complete the sentences with the correct form of be. Some of the sentences may require present tense (is, are), and some of the sentences may require past tense (was, were). Check your answers with a partner.

1. There _________ several reasons why Natasha is starting college this year. One reason ______ that she needs to get a better job. Another reason ________ that she wants to set a good example for her son.
2. There _______ different passengers on the bus last night. Five of them _______ basketball fans returning from a game at the Moda Center. One individual _______ tired and kept nodding off.
3. When I arrived for class, there _______ a bag of mandarin oranges on a table. There _______ also some granola bars in a basket. Right now, nothing ______ in the basket, but one mandarin ________ still on the table.
4. There _______ a huge poster of the Oregon Coast on the wall. The sky and the ocean ______ blue. The tall trees _______ green, and the sand _____ light brown. The people on the beach ___________ smiling.

Exercise 4.9: Identifying subjects and verbs in a paragraph

Read the paragraph. Underline the verbs and circle the subjects. Check your answers with a partner.

        Sue is very different from her sister. Sue spends time studying alone, but Ana enjoys working in study groups. Sue is younger than Ana, and she is more introverted. Ana often takes the lead in social situations because she converses more easily with others than her sister, especially with older people. At school, Sue often helps her sister with Moodle because she is more comfortable with technology. Both Sue and Ana support each other in many ways, especially in times of trouble. Neither Sue nor Ana shares their secrets with anyone else. No two sisters could ever be better friends.