The Core Components of a Sentence: Subject and Predicate

Khan Academy

This video provides a fundamental overview of sentence structure, defining a sentence as a "grammatically complete idea" composed of specific functional parts. Narrators David and Paige introduce the concept of syntax—the ordering of language—and break down the two essential components found in every sentence: the subject (the noun or pronoun part) and the predicate (the verb part). Using clear handwritten examples on a digital blackboard, the lesson explores various types of sentences to illustrate these concepts in action. The video analyzes a standard descriptive sentence ("The great big dog licked my face"), a minimal two-word sentence ("I am"), and an imperative command ("Pick up that muffin!") to demonstrate how subjects can sometimes be implied rather than explicitly stated. This resource is highly valuable for English Language Arts classrooms as it demystifies core grammatical terminology. By visually separating subjects and predicates and addressing tricky cases like commands, it helps students understand not just what a sentence looks like, but how it functions. This foundational knowledge supports better writing skills, reading comprehension, and the ability to distinguish complete sentences from fragments.