Simple Subject and Simple Predicate Examples: 40+ Clear Sentences

A simple subject is the main noun or pronoun that performs the action in a sentence, and a simple predicate is the main verb or verb phrase that tells what the subject does or is. For example, in “The tall boy runs fast,” the simple subject is boy and the simple predicate is runs. These simple subject and simple predicate examples show the core of a sentence stripped of all describing words, which is the fastest way to check whether a sentence has a subject and a verb.

Simple Subject and Predicate Basics

Every complete sentence needs two parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject is what the sentence is about, while the predicate says something about the subject, usually an action or state of being. Grammar guides commonly describe the complete predicate as the verb plus everything that follows it.

The simple subject is just the key noun or pronoun at the center of the complete subject. The simple predicate is just the main verb (or verb phrase) at the center of the complete predicate. All the modifiers, articles, adjectives, adverbs, and objects around them are left out.

Compare the two layers:

• Complete subject: “The small dog with white spots”
• Simple subject: dog
• Complete predicate: “barked loudly at the mail carrier”
• Simple predicate: barked

To find the simple subject, ask “Who or what is doing the action?” To find the simple predicate, ask “What is the action or state of being?” The Purdue Online Writing Lab notes that identifying these core parts helps writers spot fragments and agreement errors.

Simple vs. Complete: Why the Difference Matters

The complete subject and complete predicate carry all the extra detail. The simple versions carry only the essential noun and verb. A sentence like “The young chef carefully sliced the onions” has a complete subject of “The young chef” and a complete predicate of “carefully sliced the onions.” The simple subject is chef; the simple predicate is sliced.

This distinction matters in editing. If you can’t find a simple subject or simple predicate, the sentence may be incomplete. If the simple subject and verb don’t match in number, you have a subject-verb agreement problem.

Simple Subject Examples

In each sentence below, the simple subject is bolded. Notice that it is always a single noun or pronoun, even when the complete subject is longer.

1. Maya writes in a leather journal every night.
2. The old bridge collapsed during the storm.
3. Dogs love running on the beach.
4. My youngest brother plays the drums.
5. The teacher handed back the quizzes.
6. Rain fell steadily all afternoon.
7. She emailed the report before lunch.
8. A tiny hummingbird hovered near the feeder.

A few patterns are worth noting. In sentence 7, the simple subject is a pronoun, she. In sentence 6, the simple subject is an abstract noun, rain. In sentences 3 and 4, possessive words (“my youngest”) modify the subject but aren’t part of it. According to Merriam-Webster, a subject can be a noun, pronoun, or a word or group acting as one, which is why single pronouns like she and it count as simple subjects.

Simple Predicate Examples

The simple predicate is the main verb or verb phrase. Helping verbs such as is, has, will, and can stay with the main verb, because together they form one verb phrase.

1. The choir sang three songs.
2. Liam is studying marine biology.
3. The cookies tasted too sweet.
4. We will leave at dawn.
5. The puppy chewed the slipper.
6. Clouds covered the sun.
7. She has finished her homework.
8. The audience laughed at the punchline.

Note that in sentences 2 and 7, the simple predicate is a verb phrase rather than a single word. In sentence 3, the verb tasted is a linking verb that describes a state rather than an action. The Cambridge Dictionary explains that linking verbs connect the subject to a word that describes or identifies it, and they still function as the simple predicate.

Combined Subject and Predicate Examples

The examples below label both parts at once. The simple subject appears in bold, and the simple predicate appears in italics.

1. Birds fly south in October.
2. The librarian recommended a mystery novel.
3. We watched the sunset from the rooftop.
4. My cousin is learning to surf.
5. The clock chimed at midnight.
6. Elephants communicate through low rumbles.
7. The soup needs more salt.
8. She has read every book in the series.

You can test any sentence with a quick two-step check. First, cross out every word that describes or modifies. What remains as the acting noun is the simple subject. Second, cross out every word that isn’t the main verb or its helping verbs. What remains is the simple predicate.

Try one worked example: “The tired hikers slowly climbed the steep trail.” Removing modifiers leaves hikers as the simple subject and climbed as the simple predicate. The rest of the sentence — “tired,” “slowly,” “the steep trail” — belongs to the complete subject or complete predicate, not the simple ones.

One caution: in a command such as “Close the door,” the subject is an understood you even though it isn’t written. The simple predicate is close. Recognizing implied subjects prevents misreading short imperative sentences as fragments.

Key Takeaways

• The simple subject is the main noun or pronoun; the simple predicate is the main verb or verb phrase.
• Complete subject and complete predicate include all modifiers, articles, and objects; the simple versions do not.
• To find the simple subject, ask who or what performs the action; to find the simple predicate, ask what the action or state is.
• Linking verbs such as is, tasted, and looks can serve as simple predicates.
• Helping verbs stay with the main verb, so has finished and will leave are each one simple predicate.
• Commands have an implied subject of you.
• If you cannot identify a simple subject and a simple predicate, the sentence is likely a fragment.