Subject – Practice Test – NCERT -Class 9

Subject – Practice Test – NCERT -Class 9

Characteristics of the Subject:

Definition: The subject is the noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that performs the action of the verb or is described by the verb.

Example: In the sentence “The cat sat on the mat,” “the cat” is the subject because it is the entity performing the action of sitting.

Position: The subject typically appears at the beginning of a sentence, although it can sometimes come after the verb or be implied.

Example: “She sings beautifully.” Here, “she” is the subject, performing the action of singing.

Agreement with Verb: The subject and the verb must agree in number (singular or plural).

Example: “The dog barks loudly.” (singular subject “the dog” with the singular verb “barks”)

Example: “The dogs bark loudly.” (plural subject “the dogs” with the plural verb “bark”)

Types of Subjects:

Simple Subjects: These are single nouns or pronouns that serve as the subject of a sentence.

Example: “John plays tennis.” (simple subject: “John”)

Compound Subjects: These are two or more nouns or pronouns joined by a conjunction and share the same verb.

Example: “John and Mary play tennis.” (compound subject: “John and Mary”)

Implied Subjects: In some cases, the subject may be implied rather than explicitly stated.

 Example: “Go to bed!” (implied subject: “you”)

Example Sentences:

“The sun rises in the east.” (subject: “the sun”)

“She is studying for her exam.” (subject: “she”)

“Books are a great source of knowledge.” (subject: “books”)

“The birds sing in the morning.” (subject: “the birds”)

Advanced Characteristics of the Subject:

Subject-Verb Agreement: Beyond basic singular/plural agreement, subjects can also agree with verbs in terms of person and sometimes gender. For instance:

“He plays tennis.” (third-person singular subject “he” with the singular verb “plays”)

“She and I are going to the store.” (first-person plural subject “she and I” with the plural verb “are”)

Understood Subjects: In imperative sentences (commands), the subject is often understood as “you.” For example:

 “Close the door.” (Understood subject: “you” – the person being commanded)

Inverted Subjects: In questions and certain sentence constructions, the subject and verb order can be inverted. For instance:

 “Have you finished your homework?” (subject “you” follows the verb “have” in this inverted question)

“Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset.” (Inversion for emphasis)

Subject Complements: Some sentences include subject complements, which are words or phrases that further describe or identify the subject. These complements often come after linking verbs like “be,” “become,” “seem,” etc. For example:

 “He is a doctor.” (The noun phrase “a doctor” is the subject complement, identifying “he.”)

“She seems happy.” (The adjective “happy” is the subject complement, describing “she.”)

Example Sentences (Advanced):

“Each of the boys is bringing his own lunch.” (subject “each” agrees with the singular verb “is bringing”)

“Here come the guests!” (Inverted subject-verb order for emphasis)

“He became president of the company.” (Subject complement “president” identifies “he.”)

“Rarely does she complain about her workload.” (Inversion for emphasis)