Complete Sentences ("Subjects & Predicates")

Complete sentences are sentences that contain both a subject and a predicate. The concept of the complete sentence is important in helping children analyze and revise their own writing. Learning what subjects and predicates are can be made engaging and memorable by exploring many of the GrammarSong activities that add a “silly sentence” element of fun to the task. The catchy melody, combined with the definition of concepts within the GrammarSong video “Complete Sentences,” makes this skill fun and easy to learn.

Melissa's Teaching Tips

Second Grade

  • Draw your child's attention to the fact that complete sentences have 2 parts, a subject and a predicate. The predicate always contains the verb.
  • Play “Subject and Predicate Matching Game” and “Subject and Predicate Match.” Allow the child to make his/her own subject and predicate matching game by creating 10 sentences. For each sentence, he/she should write the subject on one index card, and the predicate on the other. He/she should flip all of the cards over to play his/her own matching game. (Point out that the verb in the sentence is always the beginning of the predicate.) There is always great fun in playing subject/predicate matching games when the subject and predicate are not a match. For example, "The football player drank the bottle of warm milk" can be a funny combination when subjects and predicates don't match up!

Third Grade

  • Complete GrammarSongs activity “Hands-On Subject and Predicate Flip Book.” Complete grammar sheet “Identifying Errors in Completeness.”
    • Extra Engagement: Use the information presented within the sheet to model sentences on a whiteboard or smart-board to create a whole class lesson. Cut the sheet apart, gluing the related answers from the answer key on the back to use within a cooperative learning structure or as a self-checking center activity.

Fourth & Fifth Grade

  • Review activities from previous grade levels as needed. It is important for this skill to be solid before moving on to analyze other sentence structures, such as Compound and Complex Sentences.

Identifying Errors in Completeness with Answer Key.pdf
subject_and_predicate_game_and_matching_worksheet_with_answer_key.pdf
hands-on_subject_and_predicate_flip_book_activity.pdf
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