Plain English. Marian Wharton
express a complete thought.
But will any two words make a sentence—express a complete thought?
14. Which of these combinations of words are sentences and which are not?
Busy men.
Men travel.
Snow flies.
Blue sky.
Red flag.
Rustling trees.
Workers strike.
Bees sting.
Grass grows.
Cold winds.
Green fields.
Happy children.
Busy men does not express a complete thought. We are wondering busy men do what? But, men travel is a complete thought. It makes sense and forms a sentence, and tells us what men do. In the words, busy men, we have spoken the name of something but have made no assertion concerning it. In the two words, men travel, we have spoken the name men and we have told what they do.
If we were walking down the street together we might say:
The street is crowded to-day.
Does the open road attract you?
See the jostling crowds.
Or if we were discussing the class struggle, we might say:
Two classes have always existed.
To which class do you belong?
Join your class in the struggle.
In every one of these six groups of words we have a complete thought expressed. Each of these groups of words we call a sentence.
15. A sentence is a group of words expressing a complete thought.
Exercise 2
Write in each blank space the word necessary to express a complete thought.
| Men … … | … … fade. |
| Leaves … … | … … bloom. |
| Water … … | … … run. |
| Fire … … | … … write. |
| Women … … | … … grow. |
| Children … … | … … speak. |
SUBJECT AND PREDICATE
16. We have found that every sentence must have at least two words, one word to name that about which something is said and another word which does the saying or makes the assertion. In the sentence, Men work, we have these two parts; men which is the part about which something is said, and work which tells what men do.
The part about which something is said is called the subject.
In this sentence, Men work, men, therefore, is the subject, for it names that about which something is said.
17. The part that asserts or says something about the subject is called the predicate.
Therefore in this sentence, Men work, work is the predicate. In the following sentences draw a single line under the subject and a double line under the predicate, thus, Birds fly.
Ships sail.
Soldiers fight.
Flowers fade.
Horses neigh.
Flags wave.
Snow comes.
War rages.
Winds blow.
Fish swim.
18. We may add other words to the subject or the predicate and so enlarge their meaning, as for instance we may say:
The stately ships sail proudly away.
The war in Europe rages furiously.
The soldiers in the army fight like men gone mad.
Yet in every one of these sentences you will find the subject and the predicate—Ships sail, War rages, Soldiers fight.
Every sentence must have a subject and a predicate, and it is a very important part of the study of sentences to be able to distinguish quickly and readily the subject and the predicate. Find that about which something is said, and that will always be the subject. Find that which is said about the subject, and that will be the predicate.
Every sentence must contain a subject and a predicate.
The subject of a sentence names that about which something is said.
The predicate tells that which is said about the subject.
Exercise 3
In the following sentences add other words to the subject and to the predicate to enlarge their meaning, then draw a single line under the subject and a double line under the predicate:
Ships sail.
Tides flow.
Stars shine.
Rain falls.
Children play.
Nature sleeps.
Waves break.
War rages.
Birds sing.
Exercise 4
In the following sentences the subject and the predicate have other words added to enlarge their meaning. Find the subject and predicate and draw a single line under the subject and a double line under the predicate, as in the sentence,
The workers of the world build palaces for other people.
1 Our success lies in solidarity.
2 New occasions teach new duties.
3 Two classes exist in the world.
4 Labor creates all wealth.
5 The workers fight all battles.
6 Our time calls for earnest deeds.
7 Knowledge unlocks the door of life.
8 Ignorance bars the path to progress.
9 Few people think for themselves.
10 Hope stirs us to action.
SPELLING
LESSON