The Principal Parts of A Sentence
The Principal Parts of A Sentence :
THE third part of Grammar is called SYNTAX.
Syntax treats of sentences.
A Sentence is a number of words put together so as to make complete sense.
Man is mortal.
The principal parts of a sentence are the Subject (or nominative) and the Predicate (or verb).
Sentences are of two kinds - SIMPLE and COMPOUND.
A Simple sentence is one which contains but one subject and one verb.
Life is short.
A Compound Sentence is one which contains two or more sentences, connected by one or more conjunctions.
Life is short, but art is long.
The Subject of a Verb must be in the Nominative Case.
The subject of the verb is that of which the assertion is made.
The book is in the desk.
The subject of the assertion here is book. It is that which is asserted to be in the desk.
John and I went home.
Here there are two subjects - John and I. It is of both these we say that they went home. Now, the subject of the verb, that of which anything is asserted, must be in the nominative case. It would be contrary to the Rule, therefore, to say - John and me went home. Because ME one of the subjects is not in the nominative case.
Complex names, such as George Washington and Charles Henry Grant, should be taken together in parsing, as if they were one word. Thus, we would say, “Charles Henry Grant,” a complex name, is a proper noun.
The subject of the verb may be an infinitive mood or a part of a sentence, used as a noun.
To steal will render us liable to punishment.
Thou shalt not kill - is the sixth commandment.
In the former of these examples, TO STEAL is the subject of the verb, just, as “stealing” would be, if the sentence were written….Stealing will render us liable to punishment.
A noun or a pronoun addressed and not the subject of any verb, is in the Nominative Case Independent.
Father, forgive them.
Boys, go home.
A noun or a pronoun put before a participle as its subject and not being the subject of any verb is in the Nominative Case Absolute.
My father dying, I was left an orphan.
The Principal Parts of A Sentence :
Elementary English Grammar Index
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