Subject and Predicate Worksheets
About Our Subject and Predicate Worksheets
Subjects and predicates are the two halves that make a sentence whole: the subject tells us who or what, and the predicate tells us what happens or what is. Think of them as the sentence's player and play-you need both to run anything down the field. These worksheets turn that simple idea into do-able steps so students can spot, split, and strengthen sentences. With friendly examples and short practices, the "who/what" plus "does/equals" rhythm starts to feel natural.
Why is this worth learning? Because once students can reliably find the subject and predicate, fragments and run-ons begin to disappear, and clarity shows up fast. Readers track the main idea more easily, writers keep verbs anchored to the right nouns, and editing stops feeling like guesswork. In other words: better sentences, faster.
This collection mixes quick IDs, smart sorting, and sentence-building challenges. Learners will meet simple and complete subjects, simple and complete predicates, and the crowd-pleasers-compound subjects and predicates. Each printable includes an answer key, so progress is easy to verify and celebrate. The goal is confidence students can carry into every paragraph they write.
A Look At Each Worksheet
Adding Predicates
Given bare subjects, students craft complete predicates that truly say something. It's half grammar, half creativity. By the last line, "The astronaut..." no longer leaves readers hanging.
Adding Subjects
Now the other half: finish each sentence by supplying a clear subject. Learners practice choosing nouns or pronouns that fit the predicate's meaning. Sentence balance becomes instinctive.
Circle and Underline
A clean identification drill: circle the subject, underline the predicate. Fast reps lock the pattern in. Ideal for warm-ups and exit tickets.
Compound Splitter
Students separate and label compound subjects and/or predicates. They see how "pizza and pasta" can share one action-or how one subject can do "ran, jumped, and cheered." Coordination without confusion.
Divide and Identify
Each sentence gets a dividing slash between subject and predicate, then quick labels. It's satisfying, visual, and exact. The slash becomes a thinking tool students can use anywhere.
Double Up
A focused look at compound forms: find them, fix them, write them. Learners hear the rhythm of balanced pairs and trios. More items, same structure, smooth results.
Match and Describe
Match sentence halves, then describe which side is the subject and which is the predicate. It's puzzle-meets-grammar with instant feedback. Naming the parts cements understanding.
Pick-a-Subject
Given a predicate, students choose a subject from a short list (or create one) that makes sense. Meaning guides grammar, not the other way around. Precision meets choice.
Sentence Builder
Word banks become full sentences with a clear subject and predicate every time. The scaffold keeps structure steady while ideas vary. Builders today, confident writers tomorrow.
Silly Combos
Students pair unexpected subjects and predicates for humor that still follows the rules. Laughter becomes a memory hook for structure. Fun, but never sloppy.
Subject or Predicate
Mixed lines ask: which part is this? Learners label quickly and move on. The rapid contrast keeps the concept sharp.
Subject Splitter
Longer sentences get sliced to reveal the core subject (simple vs. complete). Trimming modifiers helps students see the engine of the line. Clarity rises as clutter falls.
Subject-Predicate Identifier
A capstone ID page: varied sentence types, same two questions. Who/what? What happens/is? Consistency breeds confidence.
The Missing Piece
Each sentence is missing either a subject or a predicate-students supply the absent half. It's targeted repair work with instant "click." No more half-sentences sneaking by.
Twin Compounds
Practice spots both compound subjects and compound predicates in the same sentence. Learners balance multiple items on both sides of the verb. Complexity without chaos.
What Are Subjects and Predicates?
At its simplest, the subject names who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate tells what the subject does, is, or experiences. In "The fox slept," fox is the subject and slept is the predicate; add detail and you get a complete predicate ("slept under the tree") and sometimes a complete subject ("The clever fox"). Keeping these roles straight is the foundation of sentence sense.
You'll see this everywhere: directions ("You will line up"), announcements ("The concert begins at seven"), and stories ("A sudden wind rattled the gate"). When students instantly spot the subject and predicate, they can diagnose problems fast-fragments (missing a part) and run-ons (parts jammed together) become easier to fix. It's grammar as a practical editing tool.
Two upgrades matter next: simple vs. complete and compound forms. The simple subject is the core noun/pronoun; the complete subject includes its modifiers. The simple predicate is the main verb; the complete predicate includes everything that goes with it. Compound subjects (two or more subjects sharing a predicate) and compound predicates (one subject with multiple actions) add variety without breaking the rules.
Agreement and placement keep sentences polished. Make verbs agree with the simple subject, not a nearby word ("A pile of leaves is..."). Keep modifiers near what they modify so the predicate says exactly what you mean. If a sentence feels wobbly, find the subject, find the verb, and rebuild from that spine.
Practice turns identification into fluency. Quick splits, targeted rewrites, and build-from-prompts help students hear correct structure. Once the subject-predicate rhythm is automatic, writers can focus on voice, detail, and flow-because the skeleton of the sentence is already strong.
Common Mistakes with Subject and Predicate
Sentence - "Ran to the store after lunch."
Corrected Sentence - "She ran to the store after lunch."
Why Is That Correct? - The original is a fragment-no subject. Adding a clear subject completes the thought and forms a full sentence.
Sentence - "The bouquet of roses smell amazing."
Corrected Sentence - "The bouquet of roses smells amazing."
Why Is That Correct? - The verb must agree with the simple subject (bouquet), not the object of the preposition (roses). Singular subject → singular verb.
Sentence - "My dog barks loudly and the mail carrier walks by every day he chases."
Corrected Sentence - "My dog barks loudly when the mail carrier walks by; every day, he chases."
Why Is That Correct? - The original crams multiple predicates and clauses into a run-on. Splitting and clarifying subjects/predicates restores clean structure and meaning.