Courseversity

Subject and predicate

Primary EducationGrade 2English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G02-ELA-U06-L0845–60 min

You will learn

  • Say what a subject is.
  • Say what a predicate is.
  • Find the subject and predicate.
  • Complete sentences with both.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. A complete sentence has a subject and a predicate.
  2. The subject is who or what.
  3. The predicate tells what the subject does.
  4. Ask: Who? Then: What did they do?

Words to know

subject
who or what the sentence is about
predicate
what the subject does or is
complete sentence
a sentence with a subject and predicate
fragment
an incomplete sentence

1. Discover: The dog barks

The dog barks. Ama reads a book. The big yellow bus stops at school. My brother and I play football. Each sentence has someone or something, and what they do.

Think: Who or what is each sentence about? What do they do?

2. Understand: Subject and predicate

Idea 1: Subject

The subject is who or what the sentence is about: The dog barks. Ama reads.

Idea 2: Predicate

The predicate tells what the subject does or is: The dog barks. Ama reads a book.

Idea 3: Complete sentence

A complete sentence needs both. “The dog” is a fragment. “The dog barks” is complete.

Remember: A complete sentence has a subject (who or what) and a predicate (what they do or are).

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Subject

Subject of: Ama reads a book.

  1. Who?

Answer: Ama

Example 2 (We do it together): Predicate

Predicate of: Ama reads a book.

  1. What does she do?

Answer: reads a book

Example 3 (You try): Fragment

Is The big dog a complete sentence?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Is there a predicate?

Answer: no

Did you know?

Even one-word commands like Stop! have an understood subject: you.

Why this matters

Knowing subject and predicate helps you write complete sentences.

4. Explore: Split the sentence

Find subject and predicate.

  1. Read the sentence.
  2. Ask who or what.
  3. Ask what they do.
  4. Draw a line between them.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can find both parts.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The subject is ___.
  • The predicate is ___.
  • The sentence is about ___.
  • They ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. Subject of: The dog barks.

The dog

Question 2. Predicate of: The dog barks.

barks

Question 3. Is The dog a sentence?

no

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. Who or what the sentence is about is the ___.
  2. What they do is the ___.
  3. A sentence with both is a ___ sentence.
  4. An incomplete sentence is a ___.
  5. The subject answers Who or ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Subject: Kofi runs fast.
  2. Predicate: Kofi runs fast.
  3. Complete: The cat ___.

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Why both parts?
  2. Is Runs fast a sentence?
  3. Write a complete sentence.

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write 5 sentences and mark subject and predicate.

Show a sample answer

five sentences

Another one. Fix 3 fragments.

Show a sample answer

The dog barks.

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Writing fragments.
Fix: Add a subject or predicate.
Another mistake: Mixing the parts.
Fix: Ask who and what.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can say what a subject is.
  • I can say what a predicate is.
  • I can find both parts.
  • I can complete sentences.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. The subject is ___.

2. The predicate tells what the subject ___.

3. In The dog barks, the subject is ___.

4. In The dog barks, the predicate is ___.

5. Which is a complete sentence?

6. Which is a fragment?

7. In Ama reads a book, the subject is ___.

8. In Ama reads a book, the predicate is ___.

9. Fix: Runs fast.

10. Subject asks Who or ___.

11. A complete sentence has ___ parts.

12. Which has a subject and a predicate?

Challenge 1. Which is the subject of The bus stops?

Challenge 2. Which makes a complete sentence?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Subject: who or what.
  • Predicate: what they do.
  • Both make a complete sentence.
  • Fix fragments.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Capitalisation. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a subject? [1 mark]
  2. What is a predicate? [1 mark]
  3. Find subject and predicate: Ama reads a book. [2 marks]
  4. Fix the fragment: The big dog. [1 mark]
  5. Explain what a complete sentence needs. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. who or what the sentence is about [1]
  2. what the subject does or is [1]
  3. Ama [1]; reads a book [1]
  4. The big dog barks. [1]
  5. a subject [1]; a predicate [1]; example [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. Who or what is the ___.
  2. What they do is the ___.
  3. A sentence with both is ___.
  4. A fragment is ___.
  5. Subject of: Kofi runs.
  6. True or false: a sentence needs both parts.
  7. True or false: Runs fast is complete.
  8. Predicate of: Kofi runs.
  9. Fix: Runs fast.
  10. Write a complete sentence.

Homework

Write 5 sentences and mark subject and predicate.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. Who or what is the ___. subject 1
2. What they do is the ___. predicate 1
3. A sentence with both is ___. complete 1
4. A fragment is ___. incomplete 1
5. Subject of: Kofi runs. Kofi 1
6. True or false: a sentence needs both parts. true 1
7. True or false: Runs fast is complete. false 1
8. Predicate of: Kofi runs. runs 1
9. Fix: Runs fast. Kofi runs fast. 1
10. Write a complete sentence. The bird sings. 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 subject; 2 predicate; 3 complete; 4 fragment; 5 what. Level 2: 1 Kofi; 2 runs fast; 3 sleeps. Level 3: 1 to make sense; 2 no, no subject; 3 The bird sings..

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Say what a subject is Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Say what a predicate is Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Find the subject and predicate Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Complete sentences with both Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Writing fragments. Add a subject or predicate.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Use colour-coded cards.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child finds the subject and predicate. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Ask who or what.
  • Check sentences.
  • Praise complete sentences.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what a subject is; say what a predicate is; find the subject and predicate; complete sentences with both.

Prerequisite knowledge. Sentence types.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Review sentences.

Explanation (10 min). Teach subject/predicate.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise.

Independent activity (10 min). Check.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. Who or what? What do they do?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use colour cards. Extension. Expand parts.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Writing fragments. Add a subject or predicate.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Use colour-coded cards. Enrichment. Expand subjects and predicates. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.2.1f (produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences) and W.2.5; Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (grammar and punctuation). These sources informed the lesson.

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