How to Find the Subject in a Confusing Sentence
Learn how to find the subject in a confusing sentence by removing extra phrases, clauses, and inverted structures, with examples and practice.
In short sentences, the subject is usually easy to find.
The boy runs fast.
But real grammar questions rarely stay this simple. They add prepositional phrases, relative clauses, long descriptions, and inverted word order. Then students often choose the nearest noun instead of the real subject.
Wrong: The quality of the products are poor.
Right: The quality of the products is poor.
The nearest noun before the verb is products, but the sentence is not mainly about products. It is about the quality. Since quality is singular, the verb must be is.
Finding the subject correctly is the base of subject-verb agreement, tense choice, pronoun reference, and sentence correction. If the subject is wrong, almost every later grammar decision becomes shaky.
For closely related topics, revise How to Identify the Main Verb in a Long Sentence and Subject-Verb Agreement with One Of.
The subject is the person, thing, idea, or clause that the sentence says something about. It controls the main verb of the clause.
Rule box: To find the subject in a confusing sentence, remove interrupting phrases and locate the head noun or subject clause that controls the verb.
The subject may be hidden by:
- Prepositional phrases — of the products, in the room, near the gate
- Relative clauses — who owns the shops, that you bought yesterday
- Long modifiers — sitting near the window, written by the committee
- Inverted order — There are many reasons; In the room were three students
- Noun clauses — What he said was true
The goal is not to find the first noun. The goal is to find the noun or clause that the main verb is actually about.
Prepositional phrases often sit between the subject and the verb.
The quality of the products is poor.
The phrase of the products describes quality. It does not change the number of the subject.
| Full subject area | Head subject | Correct verb |
|---|---|---|
| The quality of the products | quality | is |
| The color of the walls | color | is |
| The students in the classroom | students | are |
| The price of these books | price | is |
A relative clause can interrupt the sentence.
The man who owns the shops is here.
Inside the relative clause, owns agrees with man. But the main verb of the full sentence is is, also agreeing with man.
In there is/there are sentences, there is not the real subject. The real subject usually comes after the verb.
There are many reasons.
There is one reason.
Do not treat there as singular. Look after the verb.
Sometimes the sentence begins with a place phrase or negative expression, and the subject comes after the verb.
In the room were three students.
On the wall hangs a large painting.
The subject of the first sentence is three students. The subject of the second is a large painting.
A whole clause can be the subject.
What he said was true.
Here, what he said acts as one idea. That is why was is correct.
Use this step-by-step method:
- Find the main verb or verb blank. Ask which verb needs agreement.
- Look to the left and right. In normal order, subject often comes before the verb; in inverted sentences, it may come after.
- Remove prepositional phrases. Cross out phrases beginning with of, in, on, with, for, near, among, etc.
- Remove interrupting relative clauses. Temporarily ignore clauses beginning with who, which, that, or where.
- Find the head noun or full subject clause. This is the real controller of the verb.
- Check singular or plural. Then choose the verb form.
The quality of the products are poor.
Remove the phrase of the products.
The quality ___ poor.
Subject: quality. Verb: is.
The quality of the products is poor.
The man who owns the shops are here.
Relative clause: who owns the shops.
Main subject: The man.
Verb: is.
The man who owns the shops is here.
In the room was three students.
This is inverted order. The subject comes after the verb.
Subject: three students.
Verb: were.
In the room were three students.
- The quality of the products is poor.
- The products in the box are damaged.
- The price of these books is high.
- The books on the top shelf are old.
- The man who owns the shops is here.
- The shops that belong to the man are closed.
- There are many reasons for the delay.
- There is one serious problem.
- In the room were three students.
- What she promised was difficult to deliver.
The pattern is clear: remove the noise, then find the real subject.
The bouquet of roses ___ beautiful.
Correct: The bouquet of roses is beautiful.
Roses is plural, but it is inside a prepositional phrase. The subject is bouquet.
The teacher who guides the students ___ strict.
Correct: The teacher who guides the students is strict.
The relative clause contains another noun, students, but it does not control the main verb.
There is many reasons.
Correct: There are many reasons.
In this structure, the real subject follows the verb. Many reasons is plural.
Under the table was two bags.
Correct: Under the table were two bags.
The sentence begins with location, not the subject.
A collective noun may be singular or plural depending on meaning and variety of English.
The team is ready.
The team are arguing among themselves. (common in British English)
For exam grammar, prefer the verb that matches the intended meaning and the expected style. For more detail, see Collective Nouns Agreement.
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The quality of the products are poor. | The quality of the products is poor. | Subject is quality. |
| There is many reasons. | There are many reasons. | Real subject is many reasons. |
| The man who owns the shops are here. | The man who owns the shops is here. | Main subject is man. |
| In the room was three students. | In the room were three students. | Inverted subject is three students. |
| The color of the curtains are dull. | The color of the curtains is dull. | Subject is color. |
Choose the correct verb or correct the sentence.
- The answer to all these questions ___ simple.
a) is b) are - The boys near the entrance ___ waiting.
a) is b) are - There ___ several mistakes in this paragraph.
a) is b) are - On the table ___ a glass of water.
a) is b) are - Error spotting: The result of the tests are final.
- Error spotting: The woman who teaches the children are absent.
- Error spotting: Behind the school was two playgrounds.
- Fill in the blank: The pages of the old book ___ torn.
- Rewrite correctly: There is three solutions to this problem.
- Identify the subject: What he wrote was powerful.
- is — subject is answer.
- are — subject is boys.
- are — real subject is several mistakes.
- is — subject is a glass of water.
- is final — subject is result.
- is absent — subject is woman.
- were two playgrounds — inverted subject is plural.
- are — subject is pages.
- There are three solutions to this problem.
- Subject: What he wrote.
Final rule: Do not choose the verb by the nearest noun. Remove extra phrases and clauses, find the head subject, and then match the verb to that subject.
Memory trick: Cross out the decoration before you judge the foundation.
Revise these examples:
- The quality of the products is poor.
- There are many reasons.
- In the room were three students.