Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is a group of words that tells you one thing. It has a subject (who or what) and a verb (a doing word).
What You'll Learn
- How to spot a simple sentence that has a subject and a verb
- How to find the subject and the action in a sentence
When to Use
- When you tell about a person: "Ali runs fast."
- When you tell about an animal: "The cat sleeps on the mat."
- When you tell about a thing: "The ball rolls away."
How to Form
A simple sentence needs two parts to be complete:
| Part | What It Tells You | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | who or what the sentence is about | The girl reads a book. |
| Verb | what the subject does | The girl reads a book. |
Some sentences also have an object — the thing that receives the action:
| Subject | Verb | Object |
|---|---|---|
| The boy | kicks | the ball |
| She | eats | her rice |
| My father | reads | the newspaper |
Remember: Every simple sentence must have a subject and a verb. Without both, it is not a sentence.
Key Rules
- A sentence needs a subject: The subject tells you who or what the sentence is about. "The bird sings." The subject is "The bird."
- A sentence needs a verb: The verb tells you what the subject does. "The bird sings." The verb is "sings."
- The subject comes first: In a simple sentence, the subject comes before the verb. "Mei Ling draws a picture."
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The big red ball. | The big red ball bounces. | There is no verb — you need a doing word |
| Runs in the garden. | The dog runs in the garden. | There is no subject — you need to say who or what runs |
| My mother happy. | My mother is happy. | The verb is missing — add "is" to make it a sentence |
Clue Words
To find the subject, ask:
Who is doing something? What is doing something?
- "The girl reads." Who reads? The girl is the subject.
- "The bus stops." What stops? The bus is the subject.
To find the verb, ask:
What is the subject doing?
- "The boy kicks the ball." What does the boy do? He kicks. The verb is "kicks."
- "The baby cries." What does the baby do? She cries. The verb is "cries."
Tip: A simple sentence answers two questions: "Who or what?" (the subject) and "What does it do?" (the verb). If you can answer both, you have a simple sentence!
Practice Tips
- Point and say: Read a sentence. Point to the subject and say "who or what." Then point to the verb and say "what it does." For example: "The cat sits." Point to "The cat" (who) and "sits" (what it does).
- Check for both parts: After you read a sentence, ask "Is there a subject? Is there a verb?" If one is missing, it is not a complete sentence.
Quick Reference
| Question | How to Find It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What is the subject? | Ask "Who or what?" | The dog barks. |
| What is the verb? | Ask "What does it do?" | The dog barks. |
| Is it a sentence? | It needs both a subject and a verb | "The dog barks." Yes! |