Subject Identification Practice 2 Answer 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. For five homeless teenagers, surfing became a way to enjoy life, at least for a week, at Playalinda Beach.

2. However, next week, an upcoming launch of the space shuttle will close the beach.

3. Reading enables children to experience places beyond their reach.

4. All too frequently, your cover letter and resume can keep you from getting a job.

5. According to Kate Lorenz, there are ten ways to ruin a resume.

6. Writing in first person and using passive language are particularly troublesome.

7. Failing to proofread can also be fatal.

8. You should avoid flashy formatting and tiny font sizes.

9. To teach eighth graders requires enormous energy.

10. Quitting work early, Laura stopped at Kroger to buy something to cook for dinner.

11. The Writing Lab is a great place to prepare for final exams.

12. To succeed in college, you should attend every class session and read all assigned material.

13. Laughter is the best medicine.

14. To err is human.

15. To forgive is beyond her abilities or desires.