Subject and Predicate Worksheets | Finding Simple Subject Worksheet - Free Printable

Finding Simple Subject Worksheet – Solved and Explained

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Instructions Recap:
The simple subject is the main noun or pronoun that the sentence is about. It is the core part of the complete subject (which may include modifiers). We underline only the simple subject, not the entire subject.

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Let’s go through each sentence, identify the simple subject, and explain why.

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1. The brown horse appeared at the starting line.
✔ Simple Subject: *horse*
🔍 Explanation: "The brown" are adjectives modifying "horse." The noun "horse" is what the sentence is about.

2. The student arrived late to class because he woke up late.
✔ Simple Subject: *student*
🔍 Explanation: "The" is a determiner; "student" is the noun doing the action (arrived). Even though there's a clause after "because," it doesn't change the main subject.

3. John looked out of the window to check the sky.
✔ Simple Subject: *John*
🔍 Explanation: "John" is the person performing the action (looked). No modifiers here — just the simple subject.

4. The big audience grew very restless waiting for the play to start.
✔ Simple Subject: *audience*
🔍 Explanation: "The big" modifies "audience." The noun "audience" is the one changing (grew restless).

5. The air in the classroom smelled fresh.
✔ Simple Subject: *air*
🔍 Explanation: "The" and "in the classroom" describe where the air is, but the core noun is "air."

6. The blue dolphin swam freely in the ocean.
✔ Simple Subject: *dolphin*
🔍 Explanation: "The blue" describes the dolphin. "Dolphin" is the noun doing the action (swam).

7. The wealthy owners grew flowers all around their house.
✔ Simple Subject: *owners*
🔍 Explanation: "The wealthy" describes the owners. "Owners" is the plural noun performing the action (grew).

8. The race track looks very wet because it has been in the rain many hours.
✔ Simple Subject: *race track*
🔍 Explanation: "The" is the article. "Race track" is the noun being described (looks wet). The second clause ("because...") explains why, but doesn’t change the subject.

9. The brown horse galloped around the track.
✔ Simple Subject: *horse*
🔍 Explanation: Similar to #1 — "brown" is an adjective; "horse" is the subject.

10. The blue birds love to eat peanuts.
✔ Simple Subject: *birds*
🔍 Explanation: "The blue" modifies "birds." "Birds" is the plural noun performing the action (love).

11. The basketball players warmed up before the game.
✔ Simple Subject: *players*
🔍 Explanation: "The basketball" describes the type of players. "Players" is the noun doing the action.

12. Bird watchers must always wait with patience.
✔ Simple Subject: *watchers*
🔍 Explanation: "Bird" is a modifier for "watchers." The subject is "watchers" — the people who do the waiting.

13. The big company pays for its workers medical insurance.
✔ Simple Subject: *company*
🔍 Explanation: "The big" modifies "company." "Company" is the entity doing the action (pays). Note: "workers medical insurance" is a bit awkwardly phrased, but it means "the medical insurance for its workers."

14. The bank will keep a record of your work.
✔ Simple Subject: *bank*
🔍 Explanation: "The" is the article. "Bank" is the noun performing the action (will keep).

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✔ Final Answers (Underlined as per directions):

1. The brown horse appeared at the starting line.
2. The student arrived late to class because he woke up late.
3. John looked out of the window to check the sky.
4. The big audience grew very restless waiting for the play to start.
5. The air in the classroom smelled fresh.
6. The blue dolphin swam freely in the ocean.
7. The wealthy owners grew flowers all around their house.
8. The race track looks very wet because it has been in the rain many hours.
9. The brown horse galloped around the track.
10. The blue birds love to eat peanuts.
11. The basketball players warmed up before the game.
12. Bird watchers must always wait with patience.
13. The big company pays for its workers medical insurance.
14. The bank will keep a record of your work.

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✔ Key Tip: Always ask: *"Who or what is the sentence about?"* That’s the simple subject. Ignore descriptive words (adjectives, prepositional phrases) unless they're essential to identifying the noun.

Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable worksheet!