Noun as Subject

Being the subject of a sentence is one of noun's functions. To be the subject means to be the controller, manipulator, or performer of the verb in the sentence.


example:

"Gladys tells Rowan to eat."

There are two nouns in this sentence: 1.) Gladys 2.) Rowan


Now, subjects often appear at the beginning of the sentence, and they answer either of the following questions:

  • Who/what is the sentence about?

  • Who/what is the performer/manipulator of the verb in the sentence?


 In the sentence, the noun "Gladys" meets all the requirements.


1.) It appears at the beginning of the sentence.

2.) It answers the question, "Who is the performer of the verb in the sentence?'. In this sentence, the verb is 'tells' which is an action word.


Therefore, Gladys is the subject.



Sometimes, subjects come with articles "the, a, or an".


examples:


"The girl is eating ice cream."

"A kiss melts a heart."


And sometimes, they come with articles (the, a, an) and adjectives that describe them.


example:


"A genuine smile lights up the mood."


a-article

genuine-adjective


"The cute little girl walked slowly."


the-article

cute-adjective

little-adjective


These additional words (articles or adjectives) that come with the nouns make a noun phrase.


look:


"The girl is eating ice cream."

"A kiss melts a heart."

"A genuine smile lights up the mood."


These noun phrases (underlined) act as the subject of their respective sentences.



Related article(s):

What is the Subject of a Sentence?

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