What is a subject?

The subject is one of the main two parts of a sentence. According to traditional grammar, a
sentence consists of two parts:

a subject,
a predicate which modifies the subject.

consider the following sentence:

Leila loves painting.

Leila is the subject and likes soccer acts as the predicate

The subject relates its constituent (a noun phrase) by means of the verb to any other elements
present in the sentence (objects, complements and adverbials.)

Examples of subjects

Nurses are on strike. (subject with no determiners)

The big man hurt him. (a noun phrase introduced by a determiner)
Driving is what I like most. (Gerund)
To write poems is difficult. (Infinitive)
That he worked hard is a fact. (a clause)
I/you...like soccer. (subject pronouns)
It rains often here. (dummy subject)

Direct and Indirect Object

What is an object?

An object in grammar is a part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It refers to someone or
something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. It is what the verb is being done to. As
an example, the following sentence is given:

Subject Verb Object

Leila wrote the poem

"Leila" is the subject, the doer or performer,

"wrote" is a verb that refers to the action,

"the poem" is the object involved in the action.

Transitive and intransitive verbs

A verb can be classified as transitive or intransitive according to whether it takes or doesn't take an
object:

If a verb takes objects, then it is a transitive verb.

Example:

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 They played soccer. (The verb play takes ONE object 'soccer')
They sent him a postcard. (The verb send takes TWO objects 'him' and 'a postcard')

If a verb doesn't take an object, then it is an intransitive verb.

Example:
She lies. (The verb 'lie' doesn't take any object)
The building collapsed. (The verb 'collapse' doesn't take any object)

Types of objects

There are two types of objects: direct and indirect objects:

Direct object

A direct object answers the question "what?" or "whom?"

Examples:

David repaired his car his car is the direct object of the verb repaired. ( What did David
repair?)

He invited Mary to the party Mary is the direct object of the verb invited. (Whom did he
invite?)

Indirect Object

An indirect object answers the question "to whom?", "for whom?", "for what?"...

An indirect object is the recipient of the direct object, or an otherwise affected participant in the event.
There must be a direct object for an indirect object to be placed in a sentence. In other words an
indirect object cannot exist without a direct object.

Examples:

They sent him a postcard - him is the indirect object of the verb sent. (To whom did they send
a postcard?)

He bought his son a bike - his son is the indirect object of the verb bought. (For whom did he
buy a bike?)

Plurals
English plural nouns

In order to change a singular noun to its plural form in English, you usually add "s". For example, the
plural of book is books. The plural of table is tables. These are regular plurals.

But there are many nouns which don't follow this rule. For example the plural of fish is fish. The plural
of tooth is teeth. These are irregular plurals

Regular plurals:

Form:

Add "s" to the noun: Noun + S

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 While many plural nouns follow this rule, the spelling sometimes differ.

Examples:

Singular Plural Singular Plural

snake snakes boy boys
window windows lorry lorries
-Box -boxes potato potatoes
- knife - knives

Spelling of plurals:

The plural form of most nouns is created simply by adding the letter "s".
-more than one snake = snakes
-more than one girl = girls
-more than one window = windows

Nouns that end in -ch, x, s, z or s- Nouns that end in a

like sounds, however, will require vowel + y take the
an es for the plural: letter s:
more than one more than one more than one boy =
witch = witches box = boxes boys
more than one more than one more than one way =
gas = gases bus = buses ways
more than one
kiss = kisses
Nouns that end in a consonant + y A lot of nouns that
drop the y and take ies: end in o take es in the
plural:
-more than one potato
more than one baby = babies = potatoes
more than one lorry = lorries -more than one hero =
heroes

Some nouns ending in o break the above rule and get os or oes in the plural form:

o becomes os o becomes os or oes

auto autos pro pros buffalo buffalos/buffaloes volcano Volcanos
volcanoes
kangaroo kangaroos solo solos cargo cargos/cargoes zero zeros/zeroes
kilo kilos soprano sopranos halo halos/haloes echo echoes
memo memos studio studios mosquito mosquitos/mosquitoes tomato tomatoes
photo photos tattoo tattoos motto mottos/mottoes embargo embargoes
piano pianos video videos no nos/noes torpedo torpedoes
pimento zoo zoos Tornado tornados/tornadoes Hero Heroes
pimentos
veto vetoes potato potatoes

Plurals of nouns that end in f or fe usually change the f sound to a v sound and add s or -es.

more than one knife = knives more than one hoof = hooves more than one self = selves
more than one leaf = leaves more than one life = lives more than one elf = elves

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 Irregular plurals:

There are several nouns that have irregular plural forms.

Singular Plural Singular Plural

Fish Fish Foot Feet
Sheep Sheep tooth teeth
child children
Barracks Barracks Goose Geese
Man Men woman women
mouse mice

Plurals formed in this way are sometimes called irregular plurals or mutated (or mutating) plurals.

-more than one child = children -more than one woman = women -more than one man = men

-more than one person = people -more than one goose = geese -more than one mouse = mice

-more than one barracks = barracks -more than one deer = deer

Other irregular plural forms include the following:

Some foreign nouns retain their plural. (Note that some of them adapted the s of the English plural
form!). Nouns ending in us get a, i or the s of the English plural. Nouns ending in um get a, i or the s
of the English plural. Nouns ending in ex or ix get ices or get the s of the English plural.

Singular Foreign plural Singular Foreign plural English plural

alga algae amoeba amoebae amoebas
larva larvae antenna antennae antennas
Vertebra Vertebrae Formula Formulae Formulas
Corpus Corpora Nebula Nebulae Nebulas
Genus Genera Cactus Cacti Cactuses
Alumnus Alumni Fungus Fungi Funguses
Bacillus Bacilli Octopus Octopi Octopuses
Focus Foci Syllabus Syllabi syllabuses
Nucleus Nuclei terminus termini
Radius Radii
Stimulus Stimuli Addendum Addenda
bacterium Bacteria Erratum Errata
datum Data curriculum Curricula Curriculums
medium Media memorandum Memoranda Memorandums
ovum Ova symposium Symposia Symposiums
stratum Strata apex Apices apexes
vortex vortices appendix Appendices appendixes
cervix Cervices cervixes
index Indices indexes
matrix matrices matrixes
Nouns ending in is becoming es in plural & Nouns ending in on becoming a:

Singular Plural form Singular Plural form Singular Plural form

Analysis Analyses Axis Axes criterion criteria
hypothesis hypotheses neurosis neuroses
Basis Bases Crisis Crises phenomenon phenomena
oasis oases parenthesis parentheses
Diagnosis Diagnoses Emphasis Emphases automaton automata
synopsis synopses thesis theses

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Nouns that are always singular: A handful of nouns appear to be plural in form but take a singular
verb:

-The news is bad. -Gymnastics is fun to watch. -Economics/mathematics/statistics is said to be

difficult.

Some nouns never take the s of the plural and are always singular:

-your luggage / baggage is so heavy-I'd like to buy new furniture for the house- you can find more
information in our website.

EX 1: What is the correct plural of the word?

-These (person are )protesting against the president. -The (woman).over

there want to meet the manager. My (child)..hate eating pasta. I am ill. My
(foot).hurt.

Muslims kill (sheep)in a religious celebration.I clean my (tooth).three times a

day. The (student )are doing the exercise right now. The (fish).I bought is in
the fridge. They are sending some (man). to fix the roof. Most (housewife)..work
more than ten hours a day at home.Where did you put the (knife)..On the (shelf)...
(Goose).like water. (Piano)..are expensive Some (policeman).came to arrest
him. Where is my (luggage)? In the car!

EX 2: Write down the correct form of the plural:

city . life
House .. Photo ..
nurse elf
Boy . Phone
phenomenon ..
Family . Sandwich
Criterion Village
toy

Ex 3: Decide whether the words in bold are subjects, direct objects or indirect objects
She sent her friend an email .
Sally will help you with your housework.
Where did you put the keys?
He gave them a bag full of money.
Alice wrote a book on the French revolution .
I need your help.
He offered her a flower.
My father bought us a new TV set.
John sold me his car.
I wish you good luck

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What is the correct plural of the word?

1. These (person) people are protesting against the president.

2. The (woman) women over there want to meet the manager.
3. My (child) children hate eating pasta.
4. I am ill. My (foot) feet hurt.
5. Muslims kill (sheep) sheep in a religious celebration.
6. I clean my (tooth) teeth three times a day.
7. The (student) students are doing the exercise right now.
8. The (fish) fish I bought is in the fridge.
9. They are sending some (man) men to fix the roof.
10. Most (houswife) housewives work more than ten hours a day at home.
11. Where did you put the (knife) knives ?
On the (shelf) shelves .
12. (Goose) Geese like water.
13. (Piano) Pianos are expensive.
14. Some (policeman) policemen came to arrest him.
15. Where is my (luggage) luggage?
In the car!

Write down the correct form of the plural:

1. city - cities .
2. house - houses .
3. boy - boys .
4. family - families.
5. life - lives .
6. photo - photos .
7. phone - phones.
8. sandwich - sandwiches.
9. nurse - nurses .
10. elf - elves .
11. phenomenon - phenomena .
12. criterion - criteria .
13. village - villages .
14. toy - toys.

Decide whether the words in bold are subjects, direct objects or indirect objects

1. She sent her friend an email . Indirect Object

2. Sally will help you with your housework. Direct Object
3. Where did you put the keys? Subject
4. He gave them a bag full of money. Indirect Object
5. Alice wrote a book on the French revolution . Subject
6. I need your help. Direct Object
7. He offered her a flower. Direct Object
8. My father bought us a new TV set. Indirect Object
9. John sold me his car. Direct Object
10. I wish you good luck Indirect Object