THE SUBJECT OF A SIMPLE SENTENCE
416. We have found that the two parts of a simple sentence are the complete subject and the complete predicate. The noun is most often used as the subject of a sentence. It may have a number of modifiers, but when we strip away these modifiers we can usually find a noun which is the subject of the sentence. Occasionally the subject is a pronoun or a participle or adjective used as a noun but most frequently the subject is a noun. As for example:
- A wild piercing cry rang out.
- Hopeless, helpless children work in the cotton mills.
- The golden age of peace will come.
- Little child lives are coined into money.
- Defenseless, helpless children suffer most under capitalism.
- Every neglected child smites my conscience in the name of humanity.
- The thrilling, far-sounding battle-cry shall resound.
Note that in all of these sentences the word in italics is a noun, which is the simple subject of the sentence. All of the other words which comprise the complete subject are the modifiers of this noun, or modifiers of its modifiers.
But in our study of words, we have found that there are a number of other words which can be used in place of a noun and these may all be used as the subject of a sentence.
417. A pronoun may be used as the subject of a sentence, for the pronoun is a word used in place of the noun; and a pronoun used as the subject of a sentence may have modifiers just as a noun. It may be modified by adjectives or adjective phrases, as for example:
- We are confident of success.
- He, worried and out of employment, committed suicide.
- She, heartsick and weary, waited for an answer.
- She, with her happy, watchful ways, blessed the household.
- They, victorious and triumphant, entered the city.
- How can I, without money or friends, succeed?
"Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever Gods there be