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Subject, Object, Predicate & Complement

Master the building blocks of any sentence.

Sentence Components

To build a perfect sentence, you need to understand its core parts: Subject, Predicate, Object, and Complement.

1. The Subject

The subject is the person, animal, or thing that does the action or about whom the sentence is written.

More Examples

Rahim is reading a book.
The sun rises in the east.
Brave soldiers fought for their country.
To err is human.

2. The Predicate

The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells us something about the subject. It always starts with a verb.

More Examples

Rahim is reading a book.
Birds fly in the sky.
He visited me yesterday.
Swimming is a good exercise.

3. The Object

The object is the person or thing that receives the action of the verb.

Action Flow

HeeatsRice

"Rice" is receiving the action of "eating".

We playCricket
Mother cooksDinner
They watchTV
I boughta beautiful flower
She wrotea letter
Always tellthe truth

4. The Complement

A complement is a word or group of words that completes the meaning of a sentence. It usually follows a "linking verb" (be, seem, look, become).

The sky is blue.

He looks happy.

Milk is white.

They are doctors.

Ice feels cold.

She became famous.

Pro Tip

Object is the target of an action, while a Complement describes or identifies the subject.

Quick Comparison

PartRoleExample
SubjectThe DoerHe likes coffee.
PredicateThe Action/InfoHe likes coffee.
ObjectThe ReceiverHe likes coffee.
ComplementThe DescriberThe coffee is hot.

Test Your Knowledge

Identify the "Object" in this sentence:

"The cat caught a mouse."
COURSE PROGRESS: 17%