What questions does the subject answer? Definition of the subject. The main members of the proposal

The concepts of subject and predicate are among the most basic in the Russian language. It is with them that the acquaintance of children with syntax begins. It is very important that the student understand this section and fix it in memory, since all subsequent rules of punctuation, complex sentences and many other sections will be inextricably linked with the subject and predicate. These two concepts make up the grammatical basis, so it will also be discussed in this article. Refresh your memory and help your child learn new knowledge.

What is the subject

To begin with, consider the rule of the Russian language:

• The subject is one of the main members of the sentence. It can denote both an object and an action or a sign of a predicate. Answers the question "Who?" and "What?".

As a rule, this member of the sentence is expressed by a noun or a pronoun. It is emphasized with one line.

• For example, in the sentence “Grandma went to the market”, the subject will be the noun “Grandma”, since in this sentence the grandmother is the main character.
• If we take the sentence “He likes ice cream”, then the pronoun “He” will be the subject in it.

However, there are other interesting cases in which absolutely any part of speech acts as a subject, if it can be defined as a noun. For example:

• Five go to the right. In this sentence, the subject will be the word "Five", although in its usual form it is a numeral. Here it replaces the noun, acting as the main member of the sentence.
• Miser pays twice. In this case, the subject will also be the word "Miserly", which is a noun, and outside the sentence - an adjective.

The verb also often acts as the subject if it is in the indefinite form:

• Going to the store is his main goal. This is a complex sentence, in one of the parts of which the subject is the infinitive.

And finally, even a whole phrase can become the subject. It can be indivisible names, full name of a person.

• Anna Sergeevna hurried home. In this sentence, the subject is Anna Sergeevna.

After a while, the child will be able to determine the subject intuitively, without reciting the rules by heart.

What is a predicate

The predicate must be underlined with two parallel horizontal lines, answers the question “What is it?” and “What does it do?”, and also denotes an action or some sign of the subject.

The predicate has several types:

• verb.
• Composite noun.
• Compound verb.

Each type of predicate is best analyzed separately. The simplest of them is the verb.

• The verb predicate is usually expressed by the verb in certain moods: indicative, imperative, and also conditional. To determine the predicate correctly, you need to refresh your memory and remember what moods are.
• Perhaps a predicate in the form of a stable phrase.
• Phraseologisms also belong to the verbal predicate.

The compound verb predicate is easy to notice:

• In this case, two verbs answer the main question of the predicate. For example: "He still continued to eat." The predicate will be "continued to eat."
• Or "The cat needs a lot of sleep." Now the predicate - "need to sleep."

A compound nominal predicate is so called because it contains a linking verb and a nominal part: a noun or pronoun, adverbs, participles.

• She was a beauty. In this sentence, the predicate is “she was a beauty”, since the word “was” often acts as a linking verb, and “beauty” is a nominal part.

It may not be possible to remember everything the first time, but after solving the tasks you will succeed.

What is a grammatical basis

The grammatical basic is the main members of the sentence, namely: the subject and the predicate. They are connected in meaning and are distinguished by horizontal lines.

The stem itself, as a rule, is highlighted in square brackets in the sentence.

There is a set of rules for constructing phrases in oral and written speech. This section of linguistics is called syntax (syntaxis), which in Greek means “compilation”. The main members of the sentence with an agreed connection and functional semantic load are not subject to secondary units, have a dominant position and “dictate” the main meaning of the expression.

In contact with

The semantic core of the expression

The subject and predicate in sentences perform the function of a grammatical basis. What is the subject - this is the first of the main members in answering questions by Him. : Who? or what? Means either the object or the action denoted by the predicate. What is a predicate - this is the second main member, which answers the questions: “what to do or do?”, “What is it?”. Carries a functional load, complements the meaning of the subject.

In the structure of speech turnover, the subject is expressed by the noun or and assumes an active meaning. For illustration, one can cite simple, complete in meaning, phrases “Irina put down the book.” "She put down the book." In both completed phrases, there is no dash between the subject and the predicate, since the subjects “Irina” in the first case and “she” in the second are units that perform the action, and the predicate is expressed in the past tense, denoting this action.

In Russian speech, the subject can be expressed both as a noun and as an adjective used in

There are non-common speech turns in which the connection between the main members that make up the grammatical core is omitted. Both the subject and the predicate in these cases “stand” in the nominative case and are expressed by a noun or a numeral. For example: “The starting point is the fire tower”; "The show starts at twelve." In writing, these phrases are formed with a dash between the subject and the predicate, since the nominative case is used twice for the declension of both units of the main link.

In addition, if both main members of the phrase are indicated by indefinite verbs, then, according to the language norms, a dash is placed between the subject and the predicate. A creative option is a playful aphorism: “An active person is the blacksmith of his own happiness.”

Important! If the particle “not” is in front of the verb (in the infinitive), a dash is put: “To live life is not to cross the field.” Such punctuation will be correct both grammatically and stylistically.

What expressions are used

The spelling rule with a connecting dash sign depends on the competent selection of the basis - the main members, which do not depend on the secondary ones. The dash can be used to connect parts of a sentence in different styles of speech.

Mathematical and identical concepts

In a laconic speech turnover, which describes a mathematical action using numerals, the subject and predicate are separated by a dash. For example: "Twice two - four";

In simple and precise phrases containing identical concepts and definitions. Can be (geographical): “London is the capital of Great Britain”; “The Sava is a tributary of the Danube” are examples of sentences of classic identical combinations.

Folklore

The dash punctuation mark is often used in short turns of speech of folk art, which are instructive. These are laconic folk expressions - sayings and proverbs with a dash, the spelling of which obeys the rules of Russian grammar. The predicate is usually expressed as a whole phrase, which contains the logical meaning of the sentence.

Examples of wise folklore creativity:

• if you want to test a friend, look at him in anger;
• a cat from home - mice dance;
• Out of sight, out of mind;
• no news - good news;
• what the eye does not see, the heart does not regret;
• found a friend - found a treasure.

In all these cases, the rule is used when a dash is placed between both parts of the turnover.

Imaginative commercials

If you come across a sentence where the predicate is expressed by a noun, then you can apply the standard rule using the graphic dash sign, which indicates the final meaning. For example: "Almagel - a balm for the stomach", "Pearl toothpaste - for the whole family." The dash sign is followed by a combination in which the predicate is expressed by a noun, explaining the general meaning of the “catch phrase”, convincing and motivating to buy.

The technique of using short, well-aimed and figurative phrases is very often used in popular aphorisms and "catchy" advertising texts.

Use in writing

In Russian grammar, the dash sign between the subject and the predicate is placed in four cases:

1. Between two nouns, when the predicate is expressed by a noun (Happiness is a reward for courage).
2. Between a pair of numerals (Fifteen fifteen - two hundred twenty five).
3. Between verbs in an indefinite form - infinitive (Guide - sensitively foresee).
4. Before the words: this, here, means, this means, connecting the grammatical basis of the sentence (A dirty child is a happy child).

Punctuation mark in Russian and foreign fiction

In Russian writing, both modern and classical, punctuation using dashes is quite common. Expressions with a dash carry the function of additional expressiveness and enhancing the significance of what was said.

A few examples from fiction:

• "Genius and villainy are two incompatible things." (A.S. Pushkin);
• "The highest and most characteristic feature of our people is a sense of justice and a thirst for it." (F.M. Dostoevsky);
• “To spare nothing for a friend, to think about others a little too - that’s my simple magic.” (L.I. Oshanin);
• “Excessive pride is a sign of an insignificant soul” (I.A. Turgenev);
• “The madness of the brave is the wisdom of life” (M. Gorky).

In the works of foreign authors, the logical link - a dash between the subject and the predicate - is also often used in place. An example would be
serve as a phrase from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by the American classic Mark Twain: “But now Tom was a free bird - that was also worth something!” Thanks to the use of a punctuation mark, the phrase sounds short and very emotional.

Subject- this is the main member of the sentence, which denotes the subject of speech and answers the question of the nominative case (who? what?).

Pay attention to the meaning (a) and the form of expression (b) of the subject:

a) the subject is what is being said in a sentence (subject of speech);

b) the main form of expression of the subject - Nominative case(question who? what?).

Note!

To the question what? answers not only the nominative, but also the accusative case of the noun; nominative and accusative forms can also coincide. To distinguish between these cases, you can substitute a noun of the 1st declension (for example - book): Nominative case - book; accusative - book.

Wed: On the table lies pencil (book) - nominative case; I see a pencil(book) - accusative case.

Let's compare two sentences:

1. I did not sleep; 2. I didn't sleep.

They mean roughly the same thing in meaning. However, in the first sentence I did not sleep) has a subject, because there is a pronoun in the nominative case ( I), in the second sentence ( I couldn't sleep) there is no subject, because there is no pronoun in the nominative case ( to me- dative).

Ways of expressing the subject

A) Subject - one word:

B) The subject is an integral, that is, syntactically indivisible phrase (main + dependent word):

Note!

1) You can always ask questions to the subject who? What? , even if it does not change case by case.

2) Nominative case- the only case with which the subject can be expressed.

Note. The subject can be expressed in the indirect case if it indicates the approximate number of someone or something. Wed: thirty ships went out to sea. About thirty ships went out to sea. Over thirty ships went out to sea.

Subject Parsing Plan

Specify how the subject is expressed:

1. Single word: noun, adjective, pronoun, numeral, participle in the nominative case; adverb or other invariable form in the meaning of a noun; infinitive.
2. Syntactically indivisible phrase (indicate the meaning and form of the main word).

Sample parsing

The lake seemed to be covered with ice(Prishvin).

Subject lake expressed by a noun in the nominative case.

Around noon, a lot of round high clouds usually appear.(Turgenev).

Subject many clouds expressed by a syntactically indivisible (whole) phrase with a quantitative meaning; main word (noun) a bunch of) is in the nominative case.

In the dark, the bearded man stumbled on something(Sholokhov).

Subject bearded expressed by an adjective in the meaning of a noun in the nominative case.

But to pay for something, even the most necessary, suddenly two hundred, three hundred, five hundred rubles seemed to them almost suicide.(Goncharov).

Subject pay expressed in the infinitive.

It's been about an hour(Paustovsky).

Subject about an hour expressed by the indirect case of the noun hour with the preposition near and indicates the approximate amount of time.

Subject- this is the main member of the sentence, which denotes the subject of speech and answers the question of the nominative case (who? what?).

Pay attention to the meaning (a) and the form of expression (b) of the subject:

a) the subject is what is being said in a sentence (subject of speech);

b) the main form of expression of the subject - Nominative case(question who? what?).

Note!

To the question what? answers not only the nominative, but also the accusative case of the noun; nominative and accusative forms can also coincide. To distinguish between these cases, you can substitute a noun of the 1st declension (for example - book): Nominative case - book; accusative - book.

Wed: On the table lies pencil (book) - nominative case; I see a pencil(book) - accusative case.

Let's compare two sentences:

1. I did not sleep; 2. I didn't sleep.

They mean roughly the same thing in meaning. However, in the first sentence I did not sleep) has a subject, because there is a pronoun in the nominative case ( I), in the second sentence ( I couldn't sleep) there is no subject, because there is no pronoun in the nominative case ( to me- dative).

Ways of expressing the subject

A) Subject - one word:

B) The subject is an integral, that is, syntactically indivisible phrase (main + dependent word):

Note!

1) You can always ask questions to the subject who? What? , even if it does not change case by case.

2) Nominative case- the only case with which the subject can be expressed.

Note. The subject can be expressed in the indirect case if it indicates the approximate number of someone or something. Wed: thirty ships went out to sea. About thirty ships went out to sea. Over thirty ships went out to sea.

Subject Parsing Plan

Specify how the subject is expressed:

1. Single word: noun, adjective, pronoun, numeral, participle in the nominative case; adverb or other invariable form in the meaning of a noun; infinitive.
2. Syntactically indivisible phrase (indicate the meaning and form of the main word).

Sample parsing

The lake seemed to be covered with ice(Prishvin).

Subject lake expressed by a noun in the nominative case.

Around noon, a lot of round high clouds usually appear.(Turgenev).

Subject many clouds expressed by a syntactically indivisible (whole) phrase with a quantitative meaning; main word (noun) a bunch of) is in the nominative case.

In the dark, the bearded man stumbled on something(Sholokhov).

Subject bearded expressed by an adjective in the meaning of a noun in the nominative case.

But to pay for something, even the most necessary, suddenly two hundred, three hundred, five hundred rubles seemed to them almost suicide.(Goncharov).

Subject pay expressed in the infinitive.

It's been about an hour(Paustovsky).

Subject about an hour expressed by the indirect case of the noun hour with the preposition near and indicates the approximate amount of time.

Sentences in Russian have a certain structure. Popular in terms of frequency of use, these are syntactic statements containing a grammatical basis consisting of a subject and a predicate. The subject and its modes of expression are a separate category. Details in this article.

The main members of the proposal

This is a tandem of subject and predicate. The subject is the subject that performs the action. The action itself is the predicate.

Important! The subject cannot be an object, since the object is what the action is aimed at.

The grammatical basis, the ways of expressing the subject and predicate become the cornerstone on which the entire speech statement is built.

Semantic features of the subject

The subject and ways of expressing it are a special subsection of morphology.

What is it?

The subject is the main member of the sentence, denoting the subject of the speech statement and answering the questions: “who? What?". These are questions related to the nominative case.

The meaning of the subject is very simple to determine - this is what the sentence says. In fact, without a subject sentence, they lose their semantic component. However, there are exceptions to the rule, for example, impersonal, definite-personal or indefinitely-personal types of sentences, where either there is no subject at all, or it is implied, but not included in the general structure of the sentence.

Subject and object in a sentence

The main form of expression of the subject becomes the nominative case with the questions “who? What?". There is an interesting situation here. The fact is that in Russian two cases answer the same questions: nominative and accusative. In addition, the very form of the nominative and accusative cases may coincide.

For example:

1. "The house is on the side of the road." Here the subject is the noun "House", which is in the nominative case and answers the question "what?".
2. "I see a beautiful house on the outskirts of the village." In this case, the subject is the pronoun "I", and the noun "house" becomes an object (a minor member of the sentence), but also answers the question "what?".

In such a situation, it is important to correctly determine the subject and object, and you can also use a little trick and substitute any noun of the first declension for an incomprehensible case form, for example, mother.

Get:

1. The house (mother) stands by the road - the nominative case.
2. I see a beautiful house (mother) on the outskirts of the village - accusative.

This example shows that similar nouns have different word forms and endings. Thus, the questions of the subject will no longer cause any difficulties.

Ways of expressing the subject

The subject, its semantics and ways of expression depend on the part of speech that takes the place of one of the main members in the sentence. It is impossible to say that the subject is a more significant member of the sentence than the predicate. So, for example, in impersonal sentences there is not and cannot be a subject, therefore all the semantic load there falls precisely on the predicate.

Examples of the subject and its ways of expression in Russian are presented below.

Noun

If the form of the main member is a noun:

• Mom (who?) cooked a delicious dinner.
• Natasha (who?) washed the dishes.
• Ivan (who?) cleaned up the books.
• The bus (what?) left for the depot.
• The book (what?) is on the table.
• A brush (what?) is in a glass.

Pronoun

If the form of the main member is a pronoun:

• She (who?) went to watch a movie.
• He (who?) left for Moscow.
• They (who?) rode horses.
• Someone (who?) was hiding behind a curtain.
• Something (what?) is in the box.
• I (who?) saw the new student first.

Adjective

If the form is an adjective:

• The eldest (who?) stayed with the kids.
• The last one (who?) stands in line on the left.
• Silent (who?) stood next to us and frowned.
• We haven’t thought about sneakers on a trip for a long time. Forgotten and lost (what?) lay in the same place.
• Not always tasty (what?) Is useful.
• The miser (who?) pays twice.

Participle

If the form is participle:

• The seeker (who?) will always find.
• He who raised (who?) the sword from the sword will die.
• The desired (what?) was nearby.
• The departed (who?) suddenly returned.
• Everything good (what?) is remembered for a long time.
• Has the missing (what?) been found?

numeral

If the form is a numeral:

• Twice two (what?) is four.
• Three (what?) is a good number.
• Four (what?) is not divisible by three.
• Seven (who?) do not wait for one.
• The second (who?) in line left.
• One (who?) was nearby.

In addition to the above parts of speech, unchangeable significant or auxiliary parts of speech in the meaning of a noun can also act as a subject.

Infinitive

If the form is the infinitive - the indefinite form of the verb:

• Smoking (what?) - harm health.
• To live (what?) is good!
• Protecting (what?) Motherland is the duty of every citizen.
• To love (what?) is amazing!
• To know (what?) does not mean to be able to.
• Understanding (what?) other people is an art!

Adverb

If the form is an adverb:

• Delicious (what?) - not always useful.
• Today (what?) has already arrived.
• Often quickly (what?) does not mean competently.
• Home is better (what?) than away.
• Simple (what?) - this is without unnecessary troubles!

Pretext

If the form is a preposition:

• "Oh" (what?) is a preposition.
• "K" (what?) is a spatial preposition.
• "For" (what?) is also a word.

Union

If the form is union:

• "But" is an adversative conjunction.

"And" is a connecting union.

Particle

If the shape is a particle:

• "Not" with verbs is written separately.

Interjection

If the form is an interjection:

. “Ai” is said when it hurts!

A loud "Au" (what?) rushed from the forest.

Indirect form of a noun

In addition to the invariable parts of speech, the subject can be an indirect form of a noun (that is, a noun put in any case except the nominative), or a sentence in the meaning of a noun or a form of a verb that can be conjugated.

For example:

• Where to take it? Brother.
• What are you doing? I'm reading.
• Do not think about me, do not be upset, do not overwork - this was written at the end of the letter.

Syntactically indivisible phrase

And finally, the whole form of the subject falls into the category of the subject and its ways of expression, which is a syntactically indivisible phrase, where there is a main and a dependent word. They differ in different meanings and composition of parts of speech.

quantitative value

If the form of the subject is a tandem of a name in the nominative case and a name in the genitive case.

• Six people stood at the parapet.
• Several bags lay on the bench.
• Some of the papers lay on the table.
• Half of the documents have been checked.
• Many people passed with banners.

Selective meaning

If the form is an alloy of the name in the nominative case and the name in the genitive with the preposition "of".

• Three of the detachment went in search of the missing.
• Each of us has been to the South at some time.
• Many of them will pass all stages of mastery.

Consistency value

If the form is a tandem of a name in the nominative case and a name in the instrumental case with the preposition "with". An important nuance here is the predicate - it must necessarily have a plural form.

For example:

• Father and brother will go to see the car.
• Mother and son will go to the museum.
• My sister and uncle went to the cinema.
• The cat and kittens went around the corner of the house.
• The textbook and notebooks lay on the table.

Phase value

If the form is a tandem, consisting of a noun with the meaning of "beginning, middle and end" of some state and a noun in the genitive case.

• It was the end of December.
• The beginning of March was approaching.
• It's already the middle of summer.

Phraseologisms

Phraseological forms of the subject are also considered a separate case, when the role of the main member of the sentence is a special pair - a noun and an agreed name. For example, phraseological, terminological, or a phrase with a metaphorical meaning.

In this case, the components of this syntactic alloy only in the aggregate express the single and indivisible meaning that is required to understand the semantic component.

• Working slipshod is not my habit.
• “You can’t even catch a fish out of a pond without effort” is written on a poster in the lobby.
• The rings of Saturn are visible to the naked eye.
• The Milky Way is visible far away.
• White flakes fall from the sky.
• Hedgehog hair stuck out belligerently on the top of his head.

And the last form for the subject can be indefinite pronouns, which are formed from the bases “who” and “what”, which make up a single alloy with a consistent name. Such forms of the subject carry an indefinite meaning.

• Someone bald peeked out from behind him.
• Something unpleasant fell on my head from the balcony.
• Someone nasty nasally from the stage.
• Something shaggy touched my leg.
• Someone "smart" scrawled an obscene word on the wall of the entrance.
• Something delicious smelled pleasantly from the plate.

Thus, the ways of expressing the subject in Russian may vary and depend on a certain verbal form used in place of one of the main members of the syntactic construction. The subject can be not only nouns, but also other parts of speech, and even complex syntactically indivisible phrases with phase, metaphorical and terminological meaning. In addition, it is worth remembering that the subject has a certain form of expression - the nominative case.