POSITION OF SUBJECT

The Subject is an important constituent of a sentence. We taught you in Lesson 2 what all are contained in a Subject; let us remind you what it contains :

·         Determiners : a saint, this kite, his honesty.

·         Adjectives  : a long rope, the deep river.

·         Nouns : the book, a child.

·         Adjective Phrase : a building having ten storeys, a girl wearing a blue frock.

·         Quantifiers : some money, much praise, ten students.

We can discuss the following characteristics about its position :

1.      The Subject precedes the Predicate; that is, it normally appears at the head of the sentence :

We are waiting for you.

Shanta reached the meeting on time.

That ship has a large mast.

The dog is a faithful animal.

2.      The positions of the Subject and the Predicate can be inverted. Compare the two groups :

The chairman came on time. The Pole Star rose in the north.

On time came the chairman. In the north rose the Pole Star.

3.      In Interrogative and Exclamatory sentences, the Subject takes a mid-position :

Did he pluck flowers from this tree?

How did you finish the work so soon?

May you live long!

May God help him!

4.      The sentences having 'there' and 'it' too have Subjects in the mid-position :

A lion lived in the forest. There lived a lion in the forest.

It is our house.

5.      The Subject is hidden in Imperative Sentences, notices and those phrases where the meaning is clear in the context :

Come in. (Imperative, 'you' is hidden.)

Please open the window. (Imperative)

Thank you. ('I' is hidden.)

Exit. (Notice, you can see it on gates.)

Enter. (Notice)

No bills. (Notice)

Where is your father?

In the garage. (Meaning is clear in the context : My father is in the garage.)