Introduction: The Relevance of the Subject

Relevance of the Subject

The Subject is one of the main Essential Terms of the Sentence and plays a fundamental role in the syntactic structure of sentences. Without a subject, the sentence loses its meaning. It is the element on which something is declared in the sentence, to whom the action is attributed. Understanding it is crucial for the correct interpretation of a text.

Contextualization

Within the vast world of grammar, understanding the subject is a crucial step. In the panorama of Essential Terms of the Sentence, it is the core of the sentence, and without it, there is no action or statement, just loose words. Correctly identifying the subject is the basis for in-depth syntactic analysis and for the precise interpretation of texts in different genres. Therefore, exploring and understanding the Subject is the cornerstone for the development of language skills in the study of the Portuguese language.

Theoretical Development: Unveiling the Subject

Components of the Subject

• Subject Nucleus: It is the word that gives meaning to the sentence, usually a noun or a pronoun. Without it, the sentence is incomplete.
• Accessory Terms of the Subject: These are the words that join the subject nucleus to complete its meaning or to indicate a characteristic of it. They can be: adnominal adjuncts, nominal complement, apposition, and subject predicative.

Types of Subject

• Simple Subject: Has only one nucleus.
• Compound Subject: Has more than one nucleus.
• Hidden Subject (Elliptical or Desinential): The subject exists but is not expressed in the sentence. It can be identified by the verbal ending.

Strategies to Identify the Subject

• Variation of Person and Number of the Verb: The subject and the verb agree in person and number. By paying attention to the verbal form, we can deduce the subject.
• Questions to the Verb: By asking questions to the verb ('Who?'; 'What?'), we can identify the subject.
• Search for the Verb: The subject is usually close to the verb in the sentence structure.
• Substitution by Pronoun: The subject can be replaced by a pronoun without altering the sentence's meaning. This is always valid for the first person singular and plural.

Examples and Cases

• Example of Simple Subject: 'The book was bought.' In this case, the subject nucleus is 'the book'.
• Example of Compound Subject: 'You and I study.' In this case, the subject nucleus is 'you' and 'I'.
• Example of Hidden Subject: 'It will rain tomorrow.' In this case, the subject is hidden, but we can identify it by the verbal ending 'will'.
• Example of Identifying the Subject by Variation of Person and Number of the Verb: 'I ran.' In this case, the subject is 'I' because the verb is in the first person singular.
• Example of Identifying the Subject by Asking the Verb: 'Joana plays the piano.' Who plays the piano? Joana. Therefore, Joana is the subject.
• Example of Identifying the Subject by Searching for the Verb: 'The cats sleep.' Who sleeps? The cats. Therefore, 'the cats' is the subject.
• Example of Identifying the Subject by Substitution by Pronoun: 'We run.' If we replace 'we' with a pronoun, the sentence still makes sense: 'They run.' Therefore, 'we' is the subject.

Detailed Summary: Mastering the Subject

Key Points

• Importance of the Subject: The subject is crucial in the sentence, as it is the element on which something is declared, to whom the action is attributed.
• Constitution of the Subject: The subject is formed by the nucleus (noun or pronoun) and by the accessory terms of the subject (nominal complement, adnominal adjunct, apposition, and subject predicative).
• Types of Subject: There are the simple, compound, and hidden (or elliptical) subjects, each with its particularities and characteristics.
• Strategies to Identify the Subject: Variation of person and number of the verb, questions to the verb, search for the verb, and substitution by pronoun are useful strategies to identify the subject.

Conclusions

• Importance of Agreement: The subject and the verb must agree in person and number, which facilitates the identification of the subject.
• Interdependence of Terms: Understanding the subject is essential not only to correctly analyze the sentence structure but also to understand the relationship between the sentence's terms.

Exercises

1. Identify the subject in the following sentences:

• 'Many birds fly in the sky.'
• 'Luisa and Pedro arrived late.'

2. Explain the difference between a simple subject and a compound subject, using examples of each type.

3. Describe the main strategies to identify the subject in the sentence structure. Additionally, apply them in at least one sentence as an example.