You are on page 1of 2

Name: Date: Period:

G9-12.ECRS.B4-A: Review of Subjects, Verbs, and Objects


Link to the ECRS: Delete commas that disturb the sentence flow (COP16B)

Key Information:
The basic parts of a sentence are the subject and verb. The verb shows a sentences action or
state of being. Look for the action word in the sentence, and youll often find the verb:
The woman carried a big sign.

The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something in the sentence.
To find the subject, first find the sentences verb. Then ask WHO? or WHAT? in front of the verb.
The woman carried a big sign. WHO? + carried woman.

Something to remember: There can be more than one subject or verb.

Many sentences also have objects. The direct object is what is receiving the action and often
comes after the verb. To find it, find the verb and then ask WHO? or WHAT? after the verb.
The woman carried a big sign. carried + WHAT? sign
The dog barked. barked + WHAT? nothing! (Not all sentences have objects.)

The tricky part? A direct object cannot be in a prepositional phrase. If you see a prepositional
phrase after a verb, nouns in it cant be the direct object. Dont be fooled! (Reminder: A
prepositional phrase begins with a preposition, such as from, to, in, of, for, at, etc.) Find the
direct objects here:
The dog barked at the moon.
The boy jumped at the chance to meet a celebrity.

A more complex sentence can have a direct object as well as prepositional phrases:
The woman carried a big sign to the rally.
The Basics:
Underline the direct object. If there is a prepositional phrase, double-underline it. If there is
neither a direct object nor a prepositional phrase, write none next to the sentence.
Example:
Andrew composes music in his head.

1. The car crashed and burned.
2. John met Steven Spielberg at the party.
3. The bottle broke in the suitcase.
4. Michelle Obama waved an American flag at the convention.
5. The spaghetti sauce stained the napkin.
Your Turn:
Some words in the paragraph below have been underlined and numbered. In the column to the
right, use the space provided to identify subjects by writing S, verbs by writing V, direct
objects by writing DO, and prepositions by writing P. The first one has been done for you.



Someone mistakenly called Jennifers number in the middle of the night.
6 7 8

They hung up quickly. The ring still wakened her, though. Her heart
9 10

leaped at the sound. In her fear, she slammed the phone. The phone broke.
11 12 13 14 15
6. ___V____
7. _________
8. _________
9. _________
10. _________
11. _________
12. _________
13. _________
14. _________
15. _________

Writing Connection:
Add a prepositional phrase to each of the sentences below. If the sentence also has a direct
object, underline it.
Example:.
His truck broke down __on the highway__.
The store sold toys ___ to neighborhood kids___.

16. The teacher handed the worksheet ______________________________________________.
17. She bought the shirt ______________________________________________.
18. The girl jumped ______________________________________________.
19. The backpack fell ______________________________________________.
20. Jose broke the vase ______________________________________________.
21. Linus boiled the beans ______________________________________________.

How This Looks on the EXPLORE:
Certain words and/or phrases below are underlined and numbered. In the right-hand column, you will find
alternatives for the underlined part. If the original version is best, choose NO CHANGE.
The brewing coffee dripped from the filter with a slow,
sleepy rhythm that caused Sharons eyes to droop closed.
Her head dipped forward, and her hand the mug dropped.
22
22. A. NO CHANGE
B. hand dropped the mug.
C. dropped the hand mug.
D. mug the hand dropped.

Whats the Rule?
The verb shows:
The subject is:
The direct object receives:

You might also like