Subject Identification Practice 1 Key

Finding the Subject

• The subject of the sentence usually answers the following question: Who or what is this sentence about?
• The subject is typically a noun (person, place, animal, or thing) or a pronoun (e.g., I, he, she, we, you, they).
• The subject may be a gerund (ing form a a verb: running, swimming, studying).
• The subject may be an infinitive (to form of a verb: to run, to swim, to study).
• A sentence may have two or more subjects (compound subjects).
• There and here are never the subjects of sentences.

Underline the subjects in the following sentences.

1. Today’s weather forecast is for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 80s.

2. A stray thunderstorm is possible through the early evening.

3. There has not been any rain in weeks.

4. The sound of rain would be like music to my ears.

5. Tropical depression Barry brought five inches of rain to Melbourne, Florida.

6. According to the WeatherChannel.com, the United States has the largest number of tornadoes worldwide.

7. The tornado warning for Leon County was cancelled just moments ago.

8. We will not need to go to the basement after all.

9. Cleaning the basement and emptying the garbage are my youngest brother’s chores.  (Compound subjects)

10. Here are Tom and Rita.

11. Surfing is dangerous during a tropical depression.

12. To see a tornado form was the tornado hunter’s strongest desire.

13. I do not share that desire.

14. Feeling exhausted, Laura lay down on the floor under the ceiling fan.

15. To lose weight requires tremendous effort and willpower.

Go to answer key.