Are you ready to sharpen your skills in identifying parts of a sentence? Dive into our interactive quiz, where you'll test in a sentence context, get instant feedback, and master parts of a sentence practice. This quiz helps you identify parts of a sentence quickly and confidently, whether you want to test on sentences for school or boost your grammar toolkit. Whether you're a student or teacher, this quick test on sentences helps you spot subjects, verbs, and objects like a pro. Check out our handy describing word name guide and explore tips in the identifying the subject of the sentence walkthrough. Click to start the challenge and elevate your writing today!
Identify the subject in the sentence: "The cat sleeps on the sofa."
The cat
sleeps
on
sofa
The subject is the noun or pronoun performing the action. In this sentence, "The cat" is doing the sleeping, so it is the subject. Verbs and prepositions cannot be subjects in this context. See more on subjects at Grammarly on subjects.
Identify the verb in the sentence: "She reads a book every night."
reads
she
book
every
A verb expresses action or state of being. Here, "reads" describes the action she performs. Nouns and determiners cannot function as verbs. More on verbs can be found at Purdue OWL on verbs.
Identify the direct object in the sentence: "He kicked the ball."
the ball
he
kicked
ball
The direct object receives the action of the verb. In "He kicked the ball," the ball is what he kicked, so it is the direct object. Subjects and verbs cannot be direct objects. For more details, see Grammarly on direct objects.
Identify the simple predicate in the sentence: "The children are playing in the park."
are playing
The children
in the park
playing park
The simple predicate is the main verb phrase telling what the subject does. "Are playing" is the main action performed by the children. Phrases that modify or locations are not part of the simple predicate. Learn more at Grammarly on predicates.
Identify the complete subject in the sentence: "Many students study in the library."
Many students
study
in the library
students study
The complete subject includes the main noun and all its modifiers. "Many students" names who perform the action. Verbs and prepositional phrases are not part of the subject. See Grammarly on complete subjects for more.
Identify the object of the preposition in the sentence: "She placed the vase on the table."
the table
the vase
on
she
The object of a preposition follows the preposition and completes its meaning. Here, the preposition "on" is followed by "the table," making it the object. Nouns not following a preposition are not objects here. More info at Grammarly on prepositions.
Identify the linking verb in the sentence: "The soup tastes delicious."
tastes
soup
delicious
the
Linking verbs connect the subject to a subject complement. "Tastes" links "soup" to the adjective "delicious." It does not show action but a state of being. For more, visit Purdue OWL on linking verbs.
Identify the predicate nominative in the sentence: "Mr. Brown is a teacher."
a teacher
Mr. Brown
is
teacher
A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject. "A teacher" renames Mr. Brown after the linking verb "is." Subjects and verbs are not predicate nominatives. More details at Grammarly on predicate nominatives.
Identify the indirect object in the sentence: "She gave him a gift."
him
a gift
She
gave
The indirect object receives the direct object. In this sentence, "him" is the beneficiary of the gift, making it the indirect object. "A gift" is the direct object. Learn more at Grammarly on indirect objects.
Identify the compound subject in the sentence: "Tom and Jerry run fast."
Tom and Jerry
run fast
Tom
Jerry
A compound subject consists of two or more nouns joined by a conjunction. "Tom and Jerry" are both doing the running, so they form the compound subject. Verbs and adverbs cannot be subjects. Additional info at Grammarly on compound subjects.
Identify the compound predicate in the sentence: "The dog barked and chased the cat."
barked and chased the cat
The dog
barked
chased
A compound predicate has two verbs sharing the same subject. Here, "barked" and "chased the cat" both describe actions of "The dog." The subject and single verb segments are not compound predicates. More at Grammarly on predicates.
Identify the direct object in the sentence: "They wrote a letter to their friend."
a letter
their friend
wrote
They
The direct object receives the action of the verb. "They wrote a letter," so "a letter" is what was written. The phrase "to their friend" is a prepositional phrase, not a direct object. For more, see Purdue OWL on direct objects.
Identify the simple subject in the sentence: "Under the tree stood a tall oak."
a tall oak
Under the tree
stood
oak stood
The simple subject is the main noun doing the action without modifiers. "A tall oak" is the noun performing the standing, even though the phrase is inverted. Prepositional phrases and verbs are not subjects. More details at Grammarly on subjects.
Identify the verb phrase in the sentence: "By morning, we will have finished the work."
will have finished
By morning
finished the work
work
The verb phrase includes the main verb and all helping verbs. Here, "will have finished" is the complete verb phrase. Prepositional phrases and objects are not part of the verb phrase. Read more at Purdue OWL on verb phrases.
Identify the object complement in the sentence: "They elected her president."
president
her
They
elected
An object complement follows and modifies or renames the direct object. In this sentence, "president" renames "her." The direct object itself is "her." See more at Grammarly on object complements.
Identify the gerund subject in the sentence: "Swimming is good exercise."
Swimming
exercise
is
good
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing used as a noun. Here, "Swimming" functions as the subject of the sentence. It is not acting as a verb. Learn more at Grammar Monster on gerunds.
Identify the infinitive phrase acting as a noun: "To win the race is his goal."
To win the race
his goal
is
race
An infinitive phrase begins with "to" plus a verb and can function as a noun. Here, "To win the race" is the subject of the sentence. It is not a prepositional phrase or adjective. More at Purdue OWL on infinitives.
Identify the appositive in the sentence: "My sister, a doctor, works at the hospital."
a doctor
My sister
works
the hospital
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun next to it. "A doctor" renames "My sister." It is set off by commas. For further reading, see Grammarly on appositives.
Identify the complex subject in the sentence: "His passion for music drives him."
His passion for music
him
drives
music
A complex subject includes a noun and its modifiers. "His passion for music" is the full subject phrase performing the action. Pronouns or single words alone are not the complete subject. More at Grammarly on complex subjects.
Identify the predicate adjective in the sentence: "The sky looks blue."
blue
The sky
looks
sky
A predicate adjective follows a linking verb and describes the subject. Here, "blue" follows the linking verb "looks" and describes "The sky." It is not the subject or verb. See more at Purdue OWL on linking verbs.
Identify the prepositional phrase modifying the noun: "The book on the shelf belongs to Sara."
on the shelf
to Sara
belongs to Sara
The book
A prepositional phrase modifying a noun describes or limits that noun. "On the shelf" tells which book, modifying "The book." "To Sara" modifies belongs, not the noun. For more, see Grammarly on prepositional phrases.
Identify the subordinating conjunction in the sentence: "Although it rained, we went outside."
Although
it
rained
we
Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses and show relationships. "Although" introduces the dependent clause "Although it rained." Other words are pronouns or verbs. More info at Grammarly on subordinating conjunctions.
Identify the object of the infinitive phrase in the sentence: "She hopes to receive a promotion soon."
a promotion
soon
hopes
receive
The object of an infinitive follows the infinitive verb. In "to receive a promotion," "a promotion" is what is received, making it the object. Adverbs and main verbs are not objects. See Grammar Monster on infinitives.
Identify the absolute phrase in the sentence: "Her arms folded across her chest, she waited quietly."
Her arms folded across her chest
she waited quietly
arms folded
waited quietly
An absolute phrase combines a noun and a participle and modifies the whole sentence. "Her arms folded across her chest" adds context. It is not a main clause or simple modifier. Learn more at Grammarly on absolute phrases.
Identify the dependent clause in the sentence: "Because the sun was high, we decided to rest."
Because the sun was high
we decided to rest
sun
decided
A dependent clause cannot stand alone and begins with a subordinating conjunction. "Because the sun was high" cannot stand alone and modifies the main clause. The other options are either the independent clause or single words. More at Purdue OWL on clauses.
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Study Outcomes
Identify Sentence Subjects -
Pinpoint the main subject in varied sentences to master identifying parts of a sentence effectively.
Identify Verbs -
Recognize and label action and linking verbs accurately for comprehensive parts of a sentence practice and test in a sentence exercises.
Spot Direct and Indirect Objects -
Distinguish between direct and indirect objects to deepen your understanding of how to identify parts of a sentence in any context.
Analyze Complex Sentences -
Break down sentences with multiple clauses to test on sentences and sharpen your identifying parts of a sentence skills in extended structures.
Gain Instant Feedback -
Receive immediate quiz results to correct mistakes on the spot and reinforce your knowledge in parts-of-sentence practice.
Build Grammar Confidence -
Track your progress through the quiz to boost your skills and feel prepared for writing tasks or exams.
Cheat Sheet
Spotting the Subject -
The subject is the noun or pronoun performing the action or being described. In "The quick brown fox jumps," "The quick brown fox" is the subject. For parts of a sentence practice, ask yourself "Who or what is this sentence about?" to instantly identify it.
Identifying the Verb -
Verbs express actions, states, or occurrences and form the core of any clause. In "She is studying," "is studying" is the verb phrase. Remember the AVID trick - Action, Linking (verb), or Intransitive - to master test in a sentence quizzes.
Finding Direct and Indirect Objects -
Direct objects receive the action (e.g., "She wrote a letter," letter = DO), while indirect objects indicate to whom/for whom (e.g., "She wrote him a letter," him = IO). A handy mnemonic: IO will always come before DO when both are in a sentence.
Recognizing Complements and Modifiers -
Complements complete the meaning (predicate nominatives/adjectives), and modifiers (adjectives/adverbs) add detail. In "He seems happy," "happy" is a subject complement. Practice by asking whether a word completes an idea or just adds extra color.
Using Sentence Diagrams -
Diagramming visually maps subjects, verbs, objects, and modifiers into branches. For example, S → NP (subject) + VP (verb phrase) helps you see relationships at a glance. This technique, endorsed by many university grammar guides, turns abstract parts into clear, organized structures.
