Parts of a Sentence | Simulator 3
Parts of a Sentence — Simulator 3
Focus: Tricky Subjects — there is/are, inverted order, and hidden subjects
In this simulator, you will practice identifying tricky subjects. Some English sentences do not follow a simple Subject + Verb pattern. In sentences with there is / there are, questions, inverted order, or long prepositional phrases, the real subject may appear after the verb or be hidden by extra information.
Your goal is to identify the real subject, not just the first noun or the noun closest to the verb.
Example: There are several documents on the desk.
- There = introductory word, not the real subject
- are = verb
- several documents = real subject
- on the desk = extra location information
1. What is the real subject of the sentence?
Sentence: There are three patients waiting outside.
- A. There
- B. are
- C. three patients
- D. waiting outside
2. What is the subject?
Sentence: On the table were several lab reports.
- A. On the table
- B. were
- C. several lab reports
- D. table
3. Which word is the main subject?
Sentence: The number of students in the class has increased.
- A. number
- B. students
- C. class
- D. has increased
4. What is the real subject?
Sentence: There is a medication error in the chart.
- A. There
- B. is
- C. a medication error
- D. in the chart
5. Which option identifies the real subject?
Sentence: Near the entrance stood a security officer.
- A. Near the entrance
- B. stood
- C. a security officer
- D. entrance
6. What is the main subject?
Sentence: The list of required documents is on the portal.
- A. list
- B. documents
- C. portal
- D. is
7. What is the subject in the question?
Sentence: Are the results available today?
- A. Are
- B. the results
- C. available
- D. today
8. Which sentence has the subject after the verb?
- A. The nurse reviewed the report.
- B. In the folder were the missing documents.
- C. The student completed the quiz.
- D. The medication caused dizziness.
9. What is the main subject?
Sentence: A box of supplies and forms was delivered this morning.
- A. box
- B. supplies
- C. forms
- D. this morning
10. Which sentence correctly identifies the subject?
Sentence: There were many questions after the lesson.
- A. Subject: There
- B. Subject: were
- C. Subject: many questions
- D. Subject: after the lesson
Your Score
Refresher — Tricky Subjects
- There is / There are: “There” is not the real subject.
- The real subject usually comes after the verb in there is / there are sentences.
- In inverted sentences, location phrases may come first, but they are not the subject.
- In questions, the verb may come before the subject.
- Prepositional phrases such as of students, in the room, and on the desk usually add extra information.
- Do not choose the noun closest to the verb automatically.
- Always ask: Who or what is the sentence really about?