Inside Language, Literacy, and Content [Level E]

Language and Grammar, continued

1 TRY OUT LANGUAGE
2 LEARN GRAMMAR
3 APPLY ON YOUR OWN

Use Complete Sentences

A complete sentence has two parts: the subject and the predicate. The subject tells whom or what the sentence is about. The predicate often tells what the subject does.

My mother Subject named me Predicate.

To find the parts in most sentences, ask yourself:

1. Whom or what is the sentence about? Your answer is the subject.
2. What does the subject do? Your answer is the predicate.

Sentence	Whom or What?	What Does the Subject Do?
My father named me.	My father	named me
My name comes from Swahili.	My name	comes from Swahili

Four Kinds of Sentences

1. A statement tells something.
My name is special.

2. A question asks something.
What is your name?

3. An exclamation expresses a strong feeling.
That is a cool name!

4. A command tells someone what to do.
Tell me your name.

In a command, the subject is understood. You do not usually say the subject when you give the command.

Practice Together

Match each subject to a predicate. Say the new sentence.

1. My brother
2. His name
3. His teachers
4. His friends
5. My father

a. shares his name with my father.
b. calls my brother by his real name.
c. comes from an African word.
d. use his nickname.
e. use his real name.

Try It!

Match each subject to a predicate. Use your own information. Say the new sentence.

6. My name
7. My friend
8. My _____
9. My teachers
10. My friends

a. use my full name.
b. prefers my nickname.
c. use nicknames.
d. comes from ________.
e. named me.

Their names unite them.