MODULE 01 · LESSON 1 OF 11
Words, phrases and the sentence core
Your goal: Find the subject and the verb in a sentence, and build your own sentences around them.
Grammar words in this lesson
- subject
- the person or thing the sentence is about. It usually comes before the verb.
- verb
- a word for an action or a state, such as work, eat, is or have
- object
- the person or thing that receives the action of the verb
Every sentence has a subject and a verb
Look at this sentence: Maya works. It has two parts. Maya is the subject: the person or thing the sentence is about. Works is the verb: it says what the subject does or is.
In a normal English statement, the subject comes first and the verb comes next. You cannot leave the subject out. Say It is cold today, not Is cold today.
Many verbs need an object
Some verbs are complete with only a subject: The baby slept. Other verbs need a person or thing after them. This is the object: Ravi opened the gate. The gate receives the action.
| Pattern | Example | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Subject + verb | The baby slept. | No object is needed. |
| Subject + verb + object | Ravi opened the gate. | The gate receives the action. |
| Subject + be + description | The gate is old. | Old describes the gate. |
Keep the verb and its object together. Say I like coffee very much, not I like very much coffee.
Four kinds of words
- A noun names a person, place or thing: teacher, city, book.
- A verb shows an action or a state: read, live, is.
- An adjective describes a noun: new, quiet, happy.
- An adverb most often describes a verb. It often says how, when or where: slowly, today, here.
Words often work in groups called phrases: the new teacher, at the front desk, every morning. A phrase moves as one piece.
Add information in small steps
Start with the core: The coach explained the rule. Add how: The coach explained the rule clearly. Add when: The coach explained the rule clearly before practice. After the verb and its object, the usual order is how, where, when.
Common mistakes
| Not this | Say this |
|---|---|
| Is very cold today. | It is very cold today. |
| I like very much this city. | I like this city very much. |
| My sister she works here. | My sister works here. |
Practice: answer first, then check
Say or write your answer before you open it. Your answers are not sent or saved.
Choose the subject: “The two children carried a box.” (The two children / a box)
Show the answer and the reason
Answer: The two children
Why: The subject is who or what the sentence is about, and it comes before the verb carried. A box is the object: it receives the action.
Choose the verb: “Our guide speaks slowly.” (guide / speaks / slowly)
Show the answer and the reason
Answer: speaks
Why: Speaks says what the guide does, so it is the verb. Slowly is an adverb: it says how the guide speaks.
Choose the sentence with an object: (Maya laughed. / Maya packed a bag.)
Show the answer and the reason
Answer: Maya packed a bag.
Why: A bag receives the action of packed, so it is the object. Laughed is complete without an object.
Put the words in order: every morning / reads the news / my father
Show the answer and the reason
Answer: My father reads the news every morning.or Every morning, my father reads the news.
Why: The subject comes first, then the verb and its object together. A time phrase goes at the end or at the very start.
Correct the mistake: Is a good restaurant.
Show the answer and the reason
Answer: It is a good restaurant.
Why: An English statement needs a subject. Here the subject is missing, so add it: It is a good restaurant. This is and That is are also correct.
Correct the mistake: She speaks very well English.
Show the answer and the reason
Answer: She speaks English very well.
Why: Keep the verb and its object together: speaks English. Words that say how, such as very well, come after the object.
Make it yours
Write three short sentences about your day: one with only a subject and a verb, one with an object, and one with a time phrase.
More practice
Exercises on this topic:
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Further reading and editorial notes
These explanations, examples and questions were written for EnglishGrammar.org. The pages below explain the same grammar points and are useful for further reading. Their publishers are not sponsors or endorsers of EnglishGrammar.org.
- Cambridge English Grammar Today: word and phrase classes (opens in a new tab)
- British Council: clause structure and verb patterns (opens in a new tab)
The stage labels are a suggested study order, not an official language level. Where British and American English differ, the lesson says so.