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What is a Subject? What is an Object? 4738 Views
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Description:
The rules of grammar can be confusing, but not after watching this video. This video explains the difference between a subject and an object: one does the action and the other is the one that the action happens to. But which one does which? There’s a tip for remembering that in this video, too.
Transcript
- 00:03
What is a subject? What is an object? a la Shmoop.
- 00:08
The subject of this video is to teach you the difference between the subject of a sentence...
- 00:12
...and the object of a sentence.
- 00:15
Our apologies to sentences everywhere. We know how much they hate being objectified.
- 00:22
The rule is pretty straightforward...
Full Transcript
- 00:23
...the subject of the sentence is the person who is doing something...
- 00:27
...and the object of the sentence is having something done to it.
- 00:32
Let's look at the sentence, "Linda punches Pete."
- 00:36
Linda is the subject here.
- 00:37
Who is she punching? Pete. Over and over and over again.
- 00:42
That means Pete is the object of this sentence. Here's another example...
- 00:46
..."Tom ate the pumpkin pie."
- 00:49
Tom is the subject of this sentence.
- 00:51
And what did Tom eat? Pie. Delicious pumpkin pie topped with Cool Whip.
- 00:56
Pie is the object of this sentence...
- 00:59
...and Tom is a far more fortunate individual than Pete.
- 01:03
If you need help remembering how subjects and objects work, just think of the sentence,
- 01:06
"I love you."
- 01:07
Not only does this sentence mean that "you" are the object of someone's affection...
- 01:12
...but, here, "you" is also the object of the sentence.
- 01:18
And now, if we know anything about how English teachers think, you're going to have the opportunity
- 01:21
to diagram the subjects and objects of sentences...
- 01:24
...over and over and over again.
- 01:26
But, hey, at least you're not Pete the punching bag.
- 01:29
Wonder what he did to deserve it...
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