Understanding Subject/Sujet+Verb(e)+Object/Complément
When learning a language, mastering the basic Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) structure is essential for forming correct sentences. Whether in English or French, this structure is the foundation of communication. In this article, we’ll break down each element and see how to identify them easily. You can refer to this pdf for more details.
1. The Subject: Who Performs the Action?
The subject is the element that performs the action in the sentence. It can be:
- A noun (Kunal, Mary)
- A pronoun (he, she, we, they)
- An infinitive verb (“To eat is important.”)
- A clause (“What he said surprised me.”)
How to Find the Subject?
Ask yourself: “Who?” or “What?”
- Example: “Kunal teaches French classes.”
→ Who teaches French classes? → Kunal (subject).
2. The Verb: The Action or State
The verb expresses the action performed by the subject or its state. To identify it:
- Look for the word that changes with tense (I eat, he ate).
- In a complex sentence, ignore relative clauses (who, which, that) and focus on the main clause.
Example:
“Kunal, who is from India, teaches French classes.”
→ If we remove “who is from India”, the core sentence is: “Kunal teaches French classes.”
→ The main verb is “teaches”.
3. The Object: What Completes the Sentence
Everything that is not the subject or verb is an object. It can be:
- Direct Object (DO) – Answers “What?” / “Whom?”
→ “He eats an apple.” (eats what? → an apple)
- Indirect Object (IO) – Answers “To whom?” / “For what?”
→ “He speaks to his friend.” (speaks to whom? → to his friend)
- Adverbial (Place/Time) – Adds details.
→ “He leaves tomorrow.” (when? → tomorrow)