{"id":353,"date":"2025-04-17T16:36:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/text-parts-of-a-sentence\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T22:08:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T22:08:54","slug":"text-parts-of-a-sentence","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/text-parts-of-a-sentence\/","title":{"raw":"Sentence Structure: Learn It 1","rendered":"Sentence Structure: Learn It 1"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify the subject and predicate of a sentence<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify the direct and indirect objects in a sentence<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Differentiate between phrases and clauses<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Differentiate between dependent and independent clauses<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify common sentence structures and patterns<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Parts of a Sentence<\/h2>\r\nEvery complete sentence is made up of basic parts, and learning how subjects, predicates, and objects function will help you better understand sentence structure.\r\n<h3>Subjects and Predicates<\/h3>\r\nEvery sentence has\u00a0a subject and a predicate.\u00a0The <strong>subject<\/strong> of a sentence is the noun, pronoun, or phrase or clause the sentence is about, and the <strong>predicate<\/strong> is the rest of the sentence after the subject. The predicate tells us more about what the subject does or is, and therefore must contain a verb explaining what the subject does (and can also include modifiers). The predicate is basically everything in the sentence that is not the subject.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Take a look at the following examples:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Einstein's general <strong>theory<\/strong> of relativity <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">has been subjected to many tests of validity over the years.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li>In a secure landfill, the <strong>soil<\/strong> on top and the <strong>cover<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">block storm water intrusion into the landfill.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>This is called a <em>compound subject<\/em>, because there are two subjects in this sentence:\u00a0<em>soil<\/em> and <em>cover<\/em>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Notice that the introductory phrase, \"In a secure landfill,\" is not a part of the subject or the predicate.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The <strong>pressure<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">is maintained at about 2250 pounds per square inch<\/span><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>then <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">lowered to form steam at about 600 pounds per square inch<\/span>.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>This is called a <em>compound predicate,<\/em> because there are two predicates in this sentence:\u00a0\"is maintained at about 2250 pounds per square inch\" and\u00a0\"lowered to form steam at about 600 pounds per square inch.\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Surrounding the secure landfill on all sides are<\/span> impermeable barrier <strong>walls<\/strong>.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>This sentence has an <em>inverted sentence pattern<\/em>. In an inverted sentence, the predicate comes before the subject. You won't run into this sentence structure very often, as it is pretty rare.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>A predicate\u00a0can include the verb, a direct object, and an indirect object.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">[ohm2_question]34553[\/ohm2_question][ohm2_question]34554[\/ohm2_question][ohm2_question]34555[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>\r\n<h3>Direct Object<\/h3>\r\nA direct object\u2014a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a noun\u2014takes the action of the main verb (e.g., the verb is happening to the object). A direct object can be identified by putting <em>what?<\/em>, <em>which?<\/em>, or <em>whom?<\/em> in its place.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Take a look at the following examples:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The housing assembly of a mechanical pencil contains the mechanical <strong>workings<\/strong> of the pencil.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Lavoisier used curved glass <strong>discs<\/strong> fastened together at their rims, with wine filling the space between, to focus the sun's rays to attain temperatures of 3000\u00b0 F.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The dust and smoke lofted into the air by nuclear explosions might cool the earth's <strong>atmosphere<\/strong> some number of degrees.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A 20 percent fluctuation in average global temperature could reduce biological <strong>activity<\/strong>, shift weather <strong>patterns<\/strong>, and ruin <strong>agriculture<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>(compound direct object)<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3>Indirect Object<\/h3>\r\nAn indirect object\u2014a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a noun\u2014receives the action expressed in the sentence. It can be identified by inserting <em>to<\/em> or <em>for<\/em>.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Take a look at the following examples:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The company is designing\u00a0senior <strong>citizens<\/strong> a new walkway to the park area.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The company is not designing new models of senior citizens; they are designing a new walkway\u00a0<em>for<\/em> senior citizens. Thus, senior citizens is the indirect object of this sentence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Please\u00a0send\u00a0the personnel <strong>office<\/strong> a resume so we can further review your candidacy.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>You are not being asked to send the office somewhere; you're being asked to send a resume\u00a0<em>to<\/em> the office. Thus, the personnel office is the indirect object of this sentence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section><section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">Objects can belong to any verb in a sentence, even if\u00a0the verbs aren't in the main clause. For example, let's look at the sentence\u00a0\"When you give your teacher\u00a0your assignment, be sure to include your name and your class number.\"\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><em>Your teacher<\/em> is the indirect object of the verb\u00a0<em>give.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>Your assignment<\/em> is the direct object of the verb\u00a0<em>give<\/em>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>Your name<\/em> and\u00a0<em>your class number<\/em> are the direct objects of the verb\u00a0<em>include<\/em>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify the subject and predicate of a sentence<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify the direct and indirect objects in a sentence<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Differentiate between phrases and clauses<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Differentiate between dependent and independent clauses<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify common sentence structures and patterns<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Parts of a Sentence<\/h2>\n<p>Every complete sentence is made up of basic parts, and learning how subjects, predicates, and objects function will help you better understand sentence structure.<\/p>\n<h3>Subjects and Predicates<\/h3>\n<p>Every sentence has\u00a0a subject and a predicate.\u00a0The <strong>subject<\/strong> of a sentence is the noun, pronoun, or phrase or clause the sentence is about, and the <strong>predicate<\/strong> is the rest of the sentence after the subject. The predicate tells us more about what the subject does or is, and therefore must contain a verb explaining what the subject does (and can also include modifiers). The predicate is basically everything in the sentence that is not the subject.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Take a look at the following examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Einstein&#8217;s general <strong>theory<\/strong> of relativity <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">has been subjected to many tests of validity over the years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>In a secure landfill, the <strong>soil<\/strong> on top and the <strong>cover<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">block storm water intrusion into the landfill.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li>This is called a <em>compound subject<\/em>, because there are two subjects in this sentence:\u00a0<em>soil<\/em> and <em>cover<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Notice that the introductory phrase, &#8220;In a secure landfill,&#8221; is not a part of the subject or the predicate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>pressure<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">is maintained at about 2250 pounds per square inch<\/span><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>then <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">lowered to form steam at about 600 pounds per square inch<\/span>.\n<ul>\n<li>This is called a <em>compound predicate,<\/em> because there are two predicates in this sentence:\u00a0&#8220;is maintained at about 2250 pounds per square inch&#8221; and\u00a0&#8220;lowered to form steam at about 600 pounds per square inch.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Surrounding the secure landfill on all sides are<\/span> impermeable barrier <strong>walls<\/strong>.\n<ul>\n<li>This sentence has an <em>inverted sentence pattern<\/em>. In an inverted sentence, the predicate comes before the subject. You won&#8217;t run into this sentence structure very often, as it is pretty rare.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>A predicate\u00a0can include the verb, a direct object, and an indirect object.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm34553\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=34553&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm34553&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm34554\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=34554&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm34554&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm34555\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=34555&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm34555&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<h3>Direct Object<\/h3>\n<p>A direct object\u2014a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a noun\u2014takes the action of the main verb (e.g., the verb is happening to the object). A direct object can be identified by putting <em>what?<\/em>, <em>which?<\/em>, or <em>whom?<\/em> in its place.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Take a look at the following examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The housing assembly of a mechanical pencil contains the mechanical <strong>workings<\/strong> of the pencil.<\/li>\n<li>Lavoisier used curved glass <strong>discs<\/strong> fastened together at their rims, with wine filling the space between, to focus the sun&#8217;s rays to attain temperatures of 3000\u00b0 F.<\/li>\n<li>The dust and smoke lofted into the air by nuclear explosions might cool the earth&#8217;s <strong>atmosphere<\/strong> some number of degrees.<\/li>\n<li>A 20 percent fluctuation in average global temperature could reduce biological <strong>activity<\/strong>, shift weather <strong>patterns<\/strong>, and ruin <strong>agriculture<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>(compound direct object)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h3>Indirect Object<\/h3>\n<p>An indirect object\u2014a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a noun\u2014receives the action expressed in the sentence. It can be identified by inserting <em>to<\/em> or <em>for<\/em>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Take a look at the following examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The company is designing\u00a0senior <strong>citizens<\/strong> a new walkway to the park area.\n<ul>\n<li>The company is not designing new models of senior citizens; they are designing a new walkway\u00a0<em>for<\/em> senior citizens. Thus, senior citizens is the indirect object of this sentence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Please\u00a0send\u00a0the personnel <strong>office<\/strong> a resume so we can further review your candidacy.\n<ul>\n<li>You are not being asked to send the office somewhere; you&#8217;re being asked to send a resume\u00a0<em>to<\/em> the office. Thus, the personnel office is the indirect object of this sentence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">Objects can belong to any verb in a sentence, even if\u00a0the verbs aren&#8217;t in the main clause. For example, let&#8217;s look at the sentence\u00a0&#8220;When you give your teacher\u00a0your assignment, be sure to include your name and your class number.&#8221;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Your teacher<\/em> is the indirect object of the verb\u00a0<em>give.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Your assignment<\/em> is the direct object of the verb\u00a0<em>give<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><em>Your name<\/em> and\u00a0<em>your class number<\/em> are the direct objects of the verb\u00a0<em>include<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"menu_order":22,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Text: Parts of a Sentence\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Basic Patterns and Elements of the Sentence\",\"author\":\"David McMurrey\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.prismnet.com\/~hcexres\/textbook\/twsent.html\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":335,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"original","description":"Text: Parts of a Sentence","author":"","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"cc","description":"Basic Patterns and Elements of the Sentence","author":"David McMurrey","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/www.prismnet.com\/~hcexres\/textbook\/twsent.html","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/353"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2782,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/353\/revisions\/2782"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/335"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/353\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=353"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=353"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}