1. Start with the verb: Find the action word or the state of being verb in the sentence. This is the heart of the sentence.
2. Ask "who?" or "what?" before the verb: The answer to this question is your complete subject.
Example:
* The tired dog slept soundly on the porch.
* Verb: "slept"
* Question: Who slept soundly on the porch?
* Answer: The tired dog
* Complete Subject: The tired dog
Important Notes:
* Simple Subject: The core noun or pronoun within the complete subject is the simple subject (e.g., "dog" in the example above).
* Modifiers: The complete subject can include words or phrases that modify the simple subject (e.g., "the tired" in the example above).
* Compound Subjects: If a sentence has more than one subject, they are joined by a conjunction (e.g., "and," "or," "but") and form a compound subject.
Example:
* The cat and the dog chased the ball.
* Verb: "chased"
* Question: What chased the ball?
* Answer: The cat and the dog
* Complete Subject: The cat and the dog
Practice Makes Perfect:
The best way to get comfortable with finding complete subjects is to practice with various sentences.