Understanding Simple and Compound Subjects

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Grade Level
Elementary School
Length of Time
45 minutes

This lesson is on simple and compound subjects. Students will learn to identify a simple subject and a compound subject. I have explain simple and compound subjects, and I have exercises for students to do.


Students will learn to:
Identify simple subjects
Identify compound subjects
Complete exercises on simple and compound subjects

Materials Needed

This is a study sheet with exercises that you can use with the students in your explanation of simple and compound subjects.

A subject is a noun or pronoun that is doing the action in a sentence. The subject can be simple, complete, or compound.

A simple subject is the main noun.

Let\'s look at this example.

The tall girl with long wavy brown hair stood on the porch steps.

The simple subject is girl.


Look at the following sentences and see if you can locate the simple subject.

1. The dog chased the squirrel.

2. Sadey barked at the people walking in the street.

3. The basketball player tossed the ball in the basket with three seconds left.

4. The dark clouds formed above.

5. The deer dashed into the woods.

The complete subject is the main noun plus everything else that goes with the subject.

For example: The girl with the long brown wavy hair jogged down the street.

The complete subject is: Girl with the long brown wavy hair.


See if you can locate the complete subjects in each sentence.

1. The slender looking girl with short hair and glasses was the life of the party.

2. The tall basketball player with the bandage around the right knee tossed the ball into the basket with three seconds left.

3. The yard with the chain linked fence around it needed to be mowed soon because it was getting too tall.


You will need to explain what a simple subject is, and then explain a compound subject.

Then, you can give students worksheets to see what they understand and don\'t understand about simple and compound subjects.

Finally, you need to repeat the lessons students don\'t understand yet.


100 to 90 = A

89 to 80 = B

79 to 70 = C

69 to 60 = D

Below 60 = F

You can grade the students by recording the total number correct over the total possible points in each worksheet. Also, you can record what areas students know and what areas they still don\'t understand. Then, you continue to go over the areas they don\'t understand.

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