Use Nouns in the Subject and Predicate
1 TRY OUT LANGUAGE
2 LEARN GRAMMAR
3 APPLY ON YOUR OWN
Remember, a complete sentence has a subject and a predicate.
The runaway slaves subject wanted freedom. predicate
• Often, the most important word in the subject is a noun.
EXAMPLE The runaway slaves wanted freedom. • A noun can also be the object of an action verb. To find the object, turn the verb into a question: “Wanted what?”
EXAMPLE The runaway slaves wanted verb freedom. object • Many English sentences follow this pattern: subject → verb → object.
EXAMPLE Many people subject in the North opposed verb slavery. object
Practice Together
Say each sentence. Tell whether the underlined noun is a subject or an object.
1. Slave traders captured people in Africa.
2. Ships carried some captives to America.
3. Colonists bought the slaves.
4. Many enslaved people tended crops in the fields.
5. Other captives did chores inside houses.
Try It!
Read each sentence. Write subject or object on a card for the underlined noun. Hold up the card as you say the sentence.
6. Many people hated slavery.
7. Some of these people helped runaways.
8. These brave Americans joined a special organization.
9. Members of the organization secretly helped the enslaved people.
10. The runaways received food.
11. The tired people also received shelter.
12. Often, the assistance saved their lives.
Enslaved people pick cotton.