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Subjekt und Prädikat / Subject and Predicate

A sentence consists of two parts: the subject (nominative case) and the predicate. The subject of the sentence is the part about which something is being said. The predicate is the part which says something about the subject.

(1) The members of the club(subject) arrive(predicate).

The best way to find the subject of a sentence is to find the verb first. After you found the verb, ask "Who?" or "What?" in connection with the verb. Frequently the sentence base will have not only a subject and a verb, but also a complement. A complement completes the meaning begun by the subject and the verb.

(2) I say that.

A predicate noun is one kind of subject complement. It is a noun or pronoun that explains or identifies the subject of the sentence.

(3) That building is a school.

A predicate adjective is another kind of subject complement. It is an adjective that modifies the subject of the sentence.

(4) The candy is too sweet.