Subject vs Object
In the sentence-
“I like big boys”
I am the subject because I’m doing the action.
The boys are the object because they are having the action done to them.
Sometimes the object can come first in the sentence. We call this passive voice.
For instance, “the big boys are liked by me” is in passive voice. Most of the time passive voice sounds unnatural so your english teacher will tell you not to use it. However if you want to emphasize the object of a sentence it can actually be a good idea to use passive voice.
Sentences always have to have a subject but sometimes the subject is implied.
This can happen when the sentence is in the imparitive or when it’s in the passive voice.
Imperitive- prepare to die.
In this sentence whoever I’m telling to prepare to die is the subject.
Passive- the cookies were eaten.
In this sentence whoever ate the cookies is the subject.
Not all sentences have an object.
The sentence “naruto ran” has a subject but no object.
Sentences can also have more than one object!
In the sentence “my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard” both the boys and the yard are objects.
The boys are the direct object because the subject is doing the verb to them.
The yard is the indirect object because it’s just providing extra information.
Verbs that do not use a direct object are intransitive. In the sentence “naruto ran” ran is intransitive.
Verbs that do take a direct object are either linking verbs (sometimes called copulas) or transitive verbs.
A transitive verb occurs when the subject is doing an action to the object.
In the sentence “I like big boys” the verb is transitive because I am doing it to the boys.
The verb to be is weird. It can take a direct object like a transitive verb, but in such a sentence no action is happening.
take the sentence “you’re a wizard harry”
Harry is the subject. A wizard is the direct object. But harry isn’t really doing anything to a wizard.
As you can see to be is neither transitive nor intransitive, so it gets its own category. Well it has to share with “to seem” but those are pretty much the only linking verbs I can think of.
Test your Knowledge
-identify the subject, verb type and any objects in the following sentences-
You have a fast car.
They replaced sir paul mccartney with a look a like in the ‘60’s.
green is not a creative color.
Flat earthers are not respected by the scientific community.
That song really slaps.
you will be given adequate supplies.
You know nothing jon snow.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks are running.
The honey was eaten by the bear in the woods.
never talk to me or my son again.
(I’ll reblog with answers tomorrow!)
