Basic Sentence Concepts
Our language organizes thoughts into sentences . As a core, these sentences have a two-part structure. For simplicity and easy reference, we can represent the two parts as follows: SUBJECT PREDICATE The subject , a noun or noun-substitute, tells who or what is doing something. The predicate tells what the subject is doing. SUBJECT PREDICATE This bird sings. Marcus plays soccer. My old Chevy still runs. This pen leaks. These books are heavy. This two part structure is so basic that a thought doesn't feel complete when one part is missing. Both are needed for a complete sentence. Of course most sentences are longer and more sophisticated than those above, but even the most complex sentences are based on this two part principle. Learning to recognize it, to listen for it, and to use it are the first steps to mastering English sentence structure. Th...