Learn more about subject types (determined, simple, compound, hidden, indeterminate, and non-existent) by solving exercises that have already been entered into contests and unpublished exercises, all created and commented on by our teachers experts.
question 1
(PUC) "At that moment they started to hurt him in the hands, stick." In this sentence, the subject of the verb is:
a) in the hands.
b) undetermined.
c) them (determined).
d) non-existent or they: depending on the context.
e) n.d.a.
Correct alternative: b) undetermined
When we look at the sentence, we realize that someone has the action of hurting, but we don't know who.
This someone, who is implicitly present in the sentence, is the indeterminate subject.
An indeterminate subject is characterized by one of the following situations:
- use of the verb in the third person plural.
- use of third person singular verb + particle -se.
- use of the verb in the impersonal infinitive.
In the sentence, what characterizes the indeterminate subject is the use of the verb in the third person plural (they began).
question 2
(Cefet-PR) Check the alternative in which there is a prayer without a subject.
a) Hopes there will always be.
b) No one thundered with as much anger as I did.
c) Had he wanted all this?
d) Someone had opened the door.
e) It rained shredded paper on the streets of Curitiba.
Correct alternative: a) There will always be hopes.
In the sentence, the verb “haver” was used as a synonym for “exist”.
Whenever the verb “haver” is used as a synonym for “exist”, we have a case of prayer without a subject.
A prayer without a subject, that is, a prayer that has a non-existent subject, is characterized by one of the following situations:
- use of verbs that designate natural phenomena.
- use of the verbs be, be, do and exist to designate elapsed time or meteorological phenomenon.
See too:types of subject
question 3
Who is the subject in the sentence below? Rate it.
Words fail me to say how much I love you.
The subject of the sentence is “words”, which agrees with the verb “lack”. Note that one of the ways to identify the subject of a sentence is precisely through verbal agreement.
Because it can be easily identified, the subject “words” is determined. As it has only one nucleus, it is a simple subject. Thus, “words” is classified as a simple determinate subject.
question 4
(UFAM/2015)
I chose the table that was on the sidewalk and asked for a natural fruit juice but knowing that there would be a artificial fruit flavored juice, laboratory fruits, laboratory babies – but where we are? Anyway, it has already been announced that we have nuclear power plants, one day a person from Sergipe will arrive (or a person from São Paulo, I have no prejudice of the region) and will absently press the wrong button. Ready. Brazil becomes memory. And people so unconscious listening to a little music at the door of the record store. I also see a man shining his shoe. And, in the building opposite, there is a film that is certainly uninteresting: I notice that only one couple is in line at the cinema. I also see an old man with his grandson throwing crumbs to the pigeons. Advertisements for commercial products rain down, polluting the landscape. It was good before, remember? When landscapes were cleared. But it's too late now. It's late on the planet.
(“It's afternoon on the planet”, by Lygia Fagundes Telles, in the book “A Disciplina do Amor”. Adapted text.)
Check the option where the sentence DOES NOT have its subject (or its inexistence) correctly explained:
a) "remember?" Implicit subject, but easily identifiable by verbal form.
b) "There is a certainly uninteresting film on" Undetermined subject, as the verb in 3The plural person makes the identity of the person who performed the action unknown.
c) “It's late on the planet” Prayer without a subject, as the verb to be is used in the sense of time.
d) “It rains advertisements for commercial products” A prayer without a subject, as the verb expresses a phenomenon of nature.
e) “And people are so unconscious listening to a little song” Simple subject, as it has only one nucleus.
Correct alternative: d) “It rains advertisements for commercial products” Prayer without a subject, as the verb expresses a phenomenon of nature.
Check out the explanations below and understand why.
a) "remember?" Implicit subject, but easily identifiable by verbal form
The above sentence is correctly explained.
We have a case of a hidden subject (also called a disinential or elliptical subject).
This kind of subject is implicit; it does not appear clearly in the sentence, but it is implied.
There are two ways to identify a hidden subject in a sentence:
- Read the previous sentences. Sometimes the subject is explicitly referred to initially.
- Note the ending of the verb that refers to the subject, as it can indicate gender, number, verbal person, etc.
"Remember" is a third person singular inflection of the verb "to remember". Thus, the subject could only be "he", "she", "you", "the lord" or "the lady".
b) "There is a certainly uninteresting film on" Undetermined subject, as the verb in 3The plural person makes the identity of the person who performed the action unknown.
The above sentence is correctly explained.
The subject of the sentence is undetermined, as we know that someone or somewhere is showing an uninteresting film, but we don't know who or what.
Another indication that the sentence has an indeterminate subject is the use of the verb in the third person plural (pass).
An indeterminate subject is characterized by one of the following situations:
- use of the verb in the third person plural.
- use of third person singular verb + particle -se.
- use of the verb in the impersonal infinitive.
c) “It's late on the planet” Prayer without a subject, as the verb to be is used in the sense of time.
The above sentence is correctly explained.
The verb “to be” is actually being used to indicate time.
Prayer without a subject, that is, the prayer of a non-existent subject, is characterized by one of the following situations:
- use of verbs that designate natural phenomena.
- use of the verbs be, be, do and exist to designate elapsed time or meteorological phenomenon.
d) “It rains advertisements for commercial products” A prayer without a subject, as the verb expresses a phenomenon of nature.
The sentence above is not correctly explained.
Note that although the verb “to rain” was used, in this context it does not express a phenomenon of nature; it takes on a figurative sense, which indicates abundance.
If we ask ourselves “What rains?”, the answer will be “Advertising for commercial products”, which is the subject of the sentence.
The core of the subject (main and most important word) is just one: advertisements, Thus, the phrase has a simple subject.
A prayer without a subject, that is, a prayer that has a non-existent subject, is characterized by one of the following situations:
- use of verbs that designate natural phenomena.
- use of the verbs be, be, do and exist to designate elapsed time or meteorological phenomenon.
e) “And people are so unconscious listening to a little song” Simple subject, as it has only one nucleus.
The above sentence is correctly explained.
If we ask ourselves “Who is listening to a little song?”, the answer will be “The people”, which is the subject. The subject's nucleus, that is, its main and most important word is just one: “people”.
The simple subject is characterized by having only one nucleus.
See too: subject indeterminacy index
question 5
Identify the highlighted clause whose subject is indeterminate.
this drizzling.
B) they called to know how you feel.
c) After calling the neighbors, they took my number and called to say the parcel had arrived.
d) Does I haven't talked to him for years.
and) for rent House.
Correct alternative: b) They called to see how you feel.
The fact that it cannot be easily identified characterizes the subject as indeterminate. There are three ways to indeterminate the subject: using verbs in the third person plural (as in this case, “connected”), using verb in the third person singular accompanied by the pronoun "se", or using verbs in the infinitive impersonal.
As for the remaining prayers:
a) It's drizzling.
This is a subjectless prayer, as "is" gives an indication of the state of time.
Subjectless prayers occur with:
- verbs that express natural phenomena;
- verbs “to be, to do, to have and to be” that express the idea of time or natural phenomena;
- verb “haver” that has the sense of “exist”.
c) After calling the neighbors, they took my number and called to say the package had arrived.
In this case, the subject is hidden, because despite not being explicit, it can be identified through its verbal form (they called), which refers to the neighbors.
However, this indication is given through the context of prayer. If the prayer was isolated “They called to say that the package had arrived.”, we would be facing a indeterminate subject, as one of the ways to indeterminate the subject is using the third person verb of the plural form.
d) I haven't talked to him for years.
This is a subjectless prayer, as the verb “to do” is conveying the idea of time.
Subjectless prayers occur with:
- verbs that express natural phenomena;
- verbs “to be, to do, to have and to be” that express the idea of time or natural phenomena;
- verb “haver” that has the sense of “exist”.
e) House for rent.
In this clause, the subject is classified as a simple determinate subject. “Home” is the subject.
The “if” of the sentence acts as a passive particle, not as an index of the subject's indeterminacy.
The construction of a clause with a passive particle is as follows: "if" + direct transitive verb or direct and indirect transitive verb. For example: Poems were declared.
The construction of a clause with the subject's indeterminacy index, in turn, is: if + intransitive verb, indirect transitive verb or linking verb. For example: One is more and more afraid to leave the house.
In “Aluga-se casa”, the verb “to rent” is direct transitive, that is, it needs a complement (house) without a preposition.
question 6
(City Hall of Maricá - RJ 2007)
PNEUMOTORAX
(Manuel Bandeira)
Fever, hemoptysis, dyspnea and night sweats.
A lifetime that could have been and wasn't.
Cough, cough, cough.
He sent for the doctor:
"Say thirty-three."
- Thirty three... thirty three... thirty three.. .
- Breathe.
...
"You have an excavation in your left lung and an infiltrated right lung."
"So, doctor, it's not possible to try pneumothorax?"
- No. The only thing to do is play an Argentine tango.
"He sent for the doctor:/ (...) Breathe".
Check the alternative in which the classification of the subjects of the two clauses highlighted above is CORRECT:
a) in both cases, it is an indeterminate subject.
b) in the first sentence: indeterminate subject; in the second clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun tu.
c) the first prayer: prayer without a subject; in the second clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun tu.
d) in the first clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun ele; the second prayer: prayer without a subject.
e) in the first clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun he; in the second sentence: hidden subject that can be expressed or represented by "the lord".
Correct alternative: e) in the first clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun ele; in the second sentence: hidden subject that can be expressed or represented by "the lord".
Check out the explanations below and better understand the answer.
a) in both cases, it is an indeterminate subject.
WRONG. An indeterminate subject occurs when we are unable to identify who/what the verb in the sentence refers to.
Although the subjects are not explicit in the sentence, we were able to identify them based on the verb ending. “Mandou” is a third-person singular inflection, so the subject could only be he, she, you, the gentleman or the lady.
“Breathe”, in turn, is inflected in the second person singular of the imperative mood (you, sir or madam).
As we read the entire text, we can see that the subject of both sentences is "the lord"; "he".
b) in the first sentence: indeterminate subject; in the second clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun tu.
WRONG. The subject of the first sentence is not indeterminate, because although it is not explicit in the sentence, we can identify them based on the verb ending. "Mandou" is a third person singular inflection, so the subject could only be "he", "she", "you", "the gentleman" or "the lady".
In the second sentence, we actually have a hidden subject. However, it cannot be represented by the pronoun "you", but by the pronouns "he", "she", "you", "the sir" or "the lady", since "breathe" is imperatively inflection of the third and not the second person of the singular.
As we read through the entire text, it is clear that the subject of both sentences is "you"; "he".
c) the first prayer: prayer without a subject; in the second clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun tu.
WRONG. The first sentence is not a clause without a subject, but a clause with a hidden subject.
A prayer without a subject is one that has a non-existent subject. It is characterized by one of the situations below:
- use of verbs that designate natural phenomena.
- use of the verbs be, be, do and exist to designate elapsed time or meteorological phenomenon.
The second clause presents a hidden subject. However, it cannot be represented by the pronoun “tu”, as it corresponds to the second person singular and the verb “breathe” is a third person inflection.
As we read through the entire text, it is clear that the subject of both sentences is "you"; "he".
d) in the first clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun ele; the second prayer: prayer without a subject.
WRONG. The statement about the first clause is correct: it presents a hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun “he”.
The statement about the second prayer is wrong. It is not a prayer without a subject, but a prayer with a hidden subject.
A subjectless prayer is characterized by one of the following situations:
- use of verbs that designate natural phenomena.
- use of the verbs be, be, do and exist to designate elapsed time or meteorological phenomenon.
As we read through the entire text, it is clear that the subject of both sentences is "you"; "he".
e) in the first clause: hidden subject that can be represented by the pronoun he; in the second sentence: hidden subject that can be expressed or represented by "the lord".
CORRECT Both sentences have hidden subjects.
Hidden subjects are those that do not appear explicitly, but that can be identified by ending the verb or reading sentences that come before or after.
“Mandou” is a third-person singular inflection, so the subject could only be he, she, you, the gentleman or the lady.
“Breathe”, in turn, is inflected in the second person singular of the imperative mood (you, sir or madam).
As we read through the entire text, it is clear that the subject of both sentences is "you"; "he".
See too: Indeterminate subject
question 7
Indicate the true and false options.
a) Compound subject is one that presents nouns in the plural.
b) There are three ways to indeterminate the subject: inflecting the verb in the third person plural, using the pronoun "se" with the verb in the third person singular, or using verbs in the infinitive impersonal.
c) The hidden subject is a determined subject, because even if it is not expressed in the sentence, it can be easily identified.
d) The indeterminate subject is also called the non-existent subject.
e) In prayers without a subject, the so-called impersonal verbs are present.
a) FALSE. What characterizes a subject as a composite is the fact that it has two or more nuclei, whether they are singular or plural. "The pen is red" (simple subject, core - pen), "The pens are red" (simple subject, core - pens), "The pen and ruler are red" (compound subject, cores - "pen" and "ruler").
b) TRUE.
c) TRUE.
d) FALSE. Indeterminate subject is one who cannot be easily identified, or also one who does not want to be identified. The non-existent subject, in turn, is not included in the sentence. A clause where there is a non-existent subject is a clause without a subject, that is, one that has only the predicate.
it's true.
question 8
(City Hall of RN/2007) Read the excerpt below to answer questions 18 to 20.
The Dalai Lama was once asked: What surprises you most about humanity?
And he replied:
"Men surprise me... men lose their health to save money, then lose money to regain their health; and because they think anxiously about the future, they forget the present in such a way that they end up not living the present or the future; and they live as if they were never going to die, and they die as if they never lived.
So let's look for balance, harmony!"
"Men surprise me."
In the excerpt, the term "men" is
a) simple subject.
b) hidden subject.
c) composite subject.
d) is not subject.
Correct alternative: a) simple subject.
The simple subject occurs when the verb of the sentence refers to a single nucleus of the subject.
Although the subject of the phrase is “men”, its core (main and most important word) is one: “men”.
See too: Subject
question 9
Identify and classify the subject of the sentence below:
Ana Paula and Natália study close to home.
The subject of the sentence is "Ana Paula e Natália".
It is a composite subject, that is, it has more than one nucleus. Nucleus 1: Ana Paula; core 2 Natalia.
The subject's core is the main and most important word. When a subject has two or more nuclei, it is a compound subject.
question 10
Indicate whether the sentence below has an indeterminate or hidden subject.
He usually buys everything he sees in front of him.
Correct answer: the subject of the sentence is hidden.
This type of subject is also called a desinential subject or an elliptical subject.
The hidden subject is one that exists in the sentence, but does not appear explicitly. However, it's easy to spot him.
Note that the ending of the main verb referring to the subject indicates gender, number, verbal person, etc.
The main verb "custom" is a third person singular inflection of the verb "custom". Thus, the subject can only be "he", "she", "you", "the lord" or "the lady".
A sentence with an indeterminate subject, in turn, has the following characteristics:
- verb in the third person plural.
- verb in the third person singular + particle itself.
- verb in the impersonal infinitive.
question 11
Identify which of the sentences has a non-existent subject:
a) Attendants are needed.
b) They went to call the neighbor at the time of the party.
c) There are many missing children in Brazil.
d) Painted and embroidered at the party.
Correct alternative: c) There are many missing children in Brazil.
a) WRONG. The subject of the sentence is indeterminate, as it refers to someone without identifying him/her.
As we read the sentence, we can understand that someone or somewhere is in need of attendants, however, it is not possible to know who.
An indeterminate subject is characterized by being accompanied by one of the options below:
- Verbs inflected in the third person plural.
- Verbs inflected in the third person singular, accompanied by the particle -se.
- Verbs in the impersonal infinitive.
b) WRONG. The sentence presents an indeterminate subject. Note that someone has gone to call the neighbor, but we don't know who.
c) CORRECT. The sentence has a non-existent subject, that is, it is a clause without a subject.
Note that the verb in the sentence is an impersonal verb: to have. This fact, by itself, is indicative of a non-existent subject.
Impersonal verbs are not accompanied by subjects and may indicate: natural phenomena (raining, snowing, cold, hot, etc.); elapsed time (being, doing, etc.) and existence or event (having).
d) WRONG. The fact that the verbs “paint” and “embroider” are inflected in the third person plural is an indication that the sentence has an indeterminate subject.
Prayer without a subject, that is, the prayer of a non-existent subject, is characterized by one of the following situations:
- use of verbs that designate natural phenomena.
- use of the verbs be, be, do and exist to designate elapsed time or meteorological phenomenon.
question 12
Indicate whether the subject of the sentence below is simple or compound.
My colleagues are very helpful.
Correct answer: the subject of the sentence is simple.
What defines whether a subject is simple or composed is its nucleus (most important word).
In the subject “my colleagues”, the core is the word “colleagues”. When the nucleus has only one word, the subject is simple; when it has two or more, it is a compound subject.
question 13
Rate the subject of the sentences below:
a) It has been raining non-stop for three days.
b) Kobe was an icon of American basketball.
c) I said what I wanted, I heard what I didn't want.
d) The pizza was brought in two hours late.
Correct answers:
a) Non-existent subject: it is accompanied by an impersonal verb, in what we call “subjectless prayer”.
A hint to identify impersonal verbs is that they are never accompanied by subjects, and indicate natural phenomena (raining, snowing, cold, hot, etc.); elapsed time (being, doing, etc.) and existence or event (having).
b) Simple subject: this is a subject that has only one nucleus (main word): Kobe.
c) Hidden subject: someone performed the action of speaking, but we don't know who. The subject is present in the sentence, but not explicit.
However, we can identify it through the ending of the verbs “spoken” and “heard”: both are first person singular inflections of the past perfect tense.
Thus, the subject can only be “I”.
d) Undetermined subject: we know that someone brought the pizza, but it is not possible to identify who.
An indication that the sentence has an indeterminate subject is the use of the main verb inflected in the third person plural: brought.
The subject is also indeterminate when the main verb of the sentence is inflected in the third person of the singular, and accompanied by the particle -se or, still, when the main verb is in the infinitive impersonal.
question 14
The prayers below are subjectless prayers except one. Indicate which.
a) It snowed in Europe.
b) There were many orders for the store.
c) It was ten o'clock.
d) It's one o'clock.
e) There was praise for the actress from the new series.
Correct alternative: e) There was praise for the actress of the new series.
Although “rain” is an impersonal verb that expresses a phenomenon of nature, in this sentence, it is being used figuratively, expressing the idea of “large amount”. “Praise” is the subject of the prayer.
Subjectless prayers occur in the following cases:
- with verbs that express natural phenomena - a) Snowed in Europe.
- verbs "to be, to do, to have and to be" that express the idea of time or natural phenomena - c) They were ten o'clock., d) É one hour.
- verb "have" that has the sense of "exist" - b) There was many orders for the store.
question 15
Classify and explain the subject of the following sentence:
The doorbell was ringing.
In the above clause, the subject is indeterminate, because the verb is in the third person plural, which is one of the ways to indeterminate the subject of a clause.
If the context had referred to who was ringing the bell, the subject would have been classified as a hidden subject. For example: Your cousins came here today and were ringing the bell when your aunt called asking if they had arrived yet.
Keep studying at: Subject and predicate exercises with commented template
