subject

Any complete sentence has two main parts, called the subject and the predicate.

The subject of a sentence is simply what or whom the sentence is about. It usually comes before the predicate. For example, consider this sentence:

• Samantha collects reptiles.

This sentence is about a person with an unusual hobby—Samantha. Samantha is therefore the subject of the sentence. Here’s another example:

• My girlfriend’s boa constrictor seems restless.

What is this sentence about? It’s about my girlfriend’s boa constrictor. The boa constrictor is therefore the subject of the sentence.

Some sentences that give commands might look as if they don’t contain a subject:

• Come in, please.

In the example above, there is no visible subject. But don’t be fooled: the subject in such a sentence is the pronoun you. Normally, the subject in a command is left out. We say that it is left understood.

When we do express the subject you in a command, it’s most often a sign of strong irritation:

• You get that fish hook out of my aquarium right now!