Questions tagged [subjects]
Questions about determining the subject of a sentence or clause
0
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1answer
24 views
Should a comma come before 'you' in this sentence?
I'm wondering whether a comma should precede the pronoun 'you' in the sentence examples below:
That's not how the computer works, you fool.
Thanks for the assignment tips, you saviour.
Whenever I ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
On the Use of “nothing”
the statement 'nothing can be known' seems straightforward, right?
'nothing' is the subject, in which case the statement can be taken to mean that not a single thing can be known. and yet, is there ...
1
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1answer
30 views
A term for an ending that makes a subject from a verb?
I was looking up "wallah" and the OED said "from the Hindi suffix -vālā ‘doer’" and I was wondering if there was a term for suffixes like this. I suspect the answer is really trivial
More English ...
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1answer
25 views
Is “average age” singular subject or plural?
"The average age at which people died of heart disease are decreasing."
Can I use "is" in place of "are" ?
2
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0answers
73 views
New Yorker “Who”/“Whom”
Has The New Yorker changed its "who"/"whom" policy? Recently, I noticed--for the first time in fifteen years of more or less consistent readership---two occasions I considered non-standard, both from ...
4
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3answers
101 views
English Subject-auxiliary inversion
In normal declarative English sentences, let's call them 'canonical' sentences, the verb comes after the subject.
Bob is walking the Great Wall of China.
Bob likes elephants.
But in other types of ...
1
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1answer
35 views
Subject verb agreement when “one of” used
Are these two sentences correct?
One of the employees who is worker at KP is here.
One of the employees who are workers at KP is here.
What is the context of who in both the sentences?
1
vote
1answer
40 views
Multiple relative clauses within subject?
I'm wondering what is the actual subject in this sentence:
"One of the countries she has visited that I have not is Canada."
To me, everything up until 'is' seems like the subject, but I can't find ...
16
votes
2answers
834 views
Is the signature of a letter a subject or an object?
I want to sign a letter jokingly not by name, but by a personal pronoun. Is the signature a subject or an object? I feel like using object pronoun (me) sounds better, but why? The signature looks more ...
1
vote
3answers
572 views
Is it “George and I” or “George and me”? [duplicate]
Recently, at McCain's funeral Obama said:
"After all, what better way to have the last laugh than to make George and I say nice things about him to a national audience."
Is it "George and I" or "...
3
votes
1answer
47 views
If someone pleads guilty to a crime, can they be described as “convicted”?
If someone pleads guilty to a crime, can I then describe them as being "convicted"? I recognise that a person who pleads guilty to a crime will have a conviction on their record. The confusion ...
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1answer
36 views
Subject-matter of x, subject of x, object of x
Please help me understand the difference in meaning an nuance between the following phrases:
Subject-matter of x (e.g. subject-matter of a book)
Subject of x (e.g. subject of a discussion)
Object of ...
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1answer
49 views
When can I omit the subject?
Can I omit the subject if it has been mentioned in a preceding sentence?
For example, is the phrase inside the parentheses necessary in the below?:
The sculpture A exhibits degradation at a ...
0
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1answer
63 views
Subject and Verb Agreement - When to use Singular / Plural [duplicate]
I see below suggestion in Grammarly on Subject and Verb Agreement.
"The verb needs does not seem to agree with the subject that. Consider changing the verb form."
And they give below examples on ...
3
votes
2answers
84 views
Is “The Dad is fishing” acceptable?
Is there something wrong with this sentence?
The Dad is fishing.
In my opinion. It sounds wrong using Dad as the subject.
This is the context: A student was given the task to make a declarative ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
What is the structure in the sentence: “The reason scientists believe that…”
I have this sentence from one of my IELTS books:
One of the reasons scientists think that there is a link between stress and cancer is the idea that there may be a cancer-prone personality
At ...
0
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1answer
32 views
can we omit the subject while talking?
ı have read a book and heard of it a lot.someone is talking and says"could not sleep last night" or "just preparing" sentences like that can we always do this or just only while speaking
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1answer
30 views
Dependent or Independent clause?
Is "The way people write has changed" an independent clause or dependent clause? In any case please explain in detail. What is the subject, verb and object if there is or if there isn't. Thanks in ...
0
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1answer
39 views
Is “The thinking of humanity needs oil to survive is completely wrong” a correct senetence?
I am practicing for the IELTS test and end up freezing at the moment wondering whether the above structure correct: "The thinking of.." followed by a full statement as the subject and then "...is ...
0
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1answer
43 views
Order of subject and object in sentence
Why is:
"I and Daniel are talking him to the park"
wrong, but
"Daniel and I are talking him to the park"
isn't.
I and Daniel no matter what order are both subjects and him object, so why ...
3
votes
1answer
45 views
Does the 'object' change when you add a noun to show who the action is done for?
In the sentence I buy a cake, cake is the direct object of the transitive verb buy. If I write instead I buy him a cake, is cake still the object, or is him now the object of a new verb buy with a ...
0
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2answers
160 views
That these skills are transferable (which/that/and) makes them especially beneficial [closed]
Why would "which","that", and "and" be omitted in the following sentence:
That these skills are transferable across professions (which/that/and) makes them especially beneficial to twenty-first ...
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0answers
15 views
Concord between multiple subjects and predicate [duplicate]
What is correct?
The girls and the cow was eating potatoes
The girls and the cow were eating potatoes
Lars
2
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2answers
98 views
Can anyone help me to understand if the following sentence requires 'who' or 'whom'? [duplicate]
I am writing a story and would like to know which one is correct:
a) "...and it was impossible to know who was sheltering whom."
b) "...and it was impossible to know who was sheltering who."
I ...
-1
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1answer
42 views
“Designs and artistic valour (are/is) something that (run/runs) in his blood.” [closed]
Designs and artistic valour are something that run in his blood.
Designs and artistic valour is something that **runs* in his blood.
Which sentence is correct?
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0answers
25 views
A case on verbs with plural/singular subject [duplicate]
In the following, I believe the first sentence is the correct one as the verb must follow the subject, which is 'A critical aspect' (thought 'nerdy creatures' is plural) Please let me know if I am ...
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0answers
35 views
“At [company], we” instead of just “[company]”
This could be a confirmation bias on my part, but I think companies often try to avoid using their names as subjects, at least in PR and marketing materials. For example, I often see something like “...
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0answers
31 views
How do subjective and objective pronoun work and which is correct in the mentioned example below?
The one who works hard, is I.
The one who works hard, is me
I was taught in a school 'It's I' correct in proper English not' It's me' so, I think of the above example that both will be correct ...
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0answers
159 views
When does a prepositional phrase modify a subject vs a linking verb?
The bold words are the words being modified by the prepositional phrase.
According to englishgrammar101.com:
The crystal glassware is from Carlsbad. (Is this a subject complement?)
Jessie's new ...
0
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1answer
119 views
What does “their” refer to in this sentence?
I'm having a hard time with this sentence:
Professional bodies will monitor, and if necessary, discipline members who do not adhere to their ethical principles.
Does 'their' refer to the members ...
8
votes
5answers
654 views
What is the predicate in “Is he happy?”
In most theories of grammar, sentences can be broken into smaller chunks called phrases and these phrases can be broken into smaller chunks, smaller phrases still. So in the sentence:
He is happy.
...
0
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1answer
244 views
Can you imagine Dad and I putting up with this? [duplicate]
In the questions "Can you imagine Dad and I putting up with this?" is the subject pronoun 'I' correct, or should it be 'me?'
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0answers
19 views
singular or plural subject verb agreement help! [duplicate]
should i say
Sara and Jim claim
OR
Sara and Jim claims
3
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1answer
95 views
“The soil is too arid to plant seeds.” Is “to plant seeds” correct here?
I feel something's wrong with the part "to plant seeds", whose logical subject should be a person. I wonder if the sentence is right or how to correct it the other way around.
1
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0answers
36 views
What is the subject?
We can't figure out what is the correct subject for this sentence. Please help!
Sentence: >1/29 people in the USA is an illegal immigrant
View #1: One, out of 29 people, in the USA is an illegal ...
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0answers
37 views
Why is this clause not a subject complement?
I'm following Greenbaum and Nelson's Introduction to Grammar.
'For all its weaknesses the labyrinthine committee structure provides
a useful function in disseminating information'
is presented ...
0
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1answer
53 views
Can subject and verb come after the rest of the sentence? [duplicate]
At times, during commentary, commentators speak sentences like "Playing well, Victor is", "A great player, Steven was".
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0answers
12 views
Subject in “ Few and short were the prayers that we said ” [duplicate]
What can be the subject in
Few and short were the prayers that we said.
Here "that we said" seems to be working like an adjective clause modifying the "prayers". So is the word "prayers" the ...
1
vote
1answer
164 views
Can tomorrow be the subject of a sentence with a past tense verb?
Tomorrow was the annual harvest fair -- the biggest event of the year.
0
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1answer
61 views
Just me, a schizophrenic and a petty arsonist [duplicate]
Just me, a schizophrenic and a petty arsonist.
How many people are there in the above sentence? Is it ambiguous?
1
vote
1answer
46 views
Relocate to vs. or Relocate into
I'd like to get advise on this!
Ireland intends to relocate 3,205 refugees to their territory.
OR
Ireland intends to relocates 920 refugees into their territory.
0
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1answer
38 views
Spain and United Kingdom's … Response or Responses?
I'm not quite sure which would be right.
(i) A comparative study of Spain and United Kingdom's Response to EU Mechanism
(ii) A comparative study of Spain and United Kingdom's Responses to EU ...
0
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0answers
150 views
Subject-verb agreement: Mean or means?
I saw this image in stack overflow and I was confused what is the subject and does the verb(means) agree with it?
What is correct? mean or means?
6
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2answers
1k views
'As can be seen …' <— Can English have a tensed clause without a Subject?
Considering the rule that every finite clause in English must always have a subject, I was wondering what the subject of the first clause in this sentence is:
As can be seen from the figures, the ...
0
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1answer
469 views
Can a sentence have multiple predicates?
I was doing an exercise from my grammar book where one has to identify the subject and the predicate when I stumbled across the following sentence.
A barking sound the shepherd hears.
Now I know ...
2
votes
2answers
62 views
Are there errors related to grammatical number in this sentence from an English textbook?
Children always appreciate small gifts of money. Mum or dad, of course, provide a regular supply of pocket money, but uncles and aunts are always a source of extra income.
This is a sentence from "...
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2answers
71 views
“Key to the relationship are … not just X, Y & Z, but also…”: Why does this sentence use “are” instead of “is”?
In this sentence, why is "are" used instead of "is"? I think "key to the relationship" should be followed by "is" because the word "Key" is acting as a singular subject. But in the image it is "are". ...
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4answers
262 views
“Tools are a sound investment that result in…” or “…that results in…”?
If I am using the sentence, "Tools are a sound investment that result(s) in significant gains in productivity.", do I use result or results? I'm unsure if the verb "result(s)" is acting on the noun "...
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0answers
27 views
Is it possible to use an object pronoun (them) in the place of a subject pronoun (they)? [duplicate]
I have seen an episode of Mindhunter S1:E9, in on the scenes there is a sentence that has driven my attention:
A: "I'm not like them"
B: "No?"
A: "Them f*ckers are crazy."
Is it possible to use an ...
1
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1answer
721 views
What are the subject and predicate in the following sentences? [closed]
1. Mercy on us.
2. Thank you, my dear friend.
What are the subject and predicate in these two sentences?
