What are the subject(s), verb(s), and object(s) of this sentence?

Question

We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf.

Answer 1

You might be steered astray if you go by general definitions of the parts of speech. We have to consider syntax as well, which basically means where words and phrases are placed within a sentence. 

 

The overall structure of this sentence is INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (We romped) + DEPENDENT CLAUSE (until the pans slid from the shelf). An independent clause can stand by itself as a sentence. We romped could stand alone and has meaning without anything being attached to it. We can't say the same about until the pans slid from the shelf. That doesn't make any sense unless it's accompanied by something else, so it's dependent. 

 

Each clause has its own subject and verb. In the first clause, the subject is we, and the verb is romped. There is no object because not all verbs require objects (these are called intransitive verbs and romped is an example of an intransitive verb). 

 

In the second clause, until is a subordinator. It's what makes the clause dependent on the first one. Without it "the pans slid from the shelf" could be a complete sentence. Because we have until though, we have a dependent clause. 

 

Let's look at the rest of the clause: 

the pans slid from the shelf 

 

The pans is the subject of the clause, slid is the verb, and from the shelf is a prepositional phrase. From the shelf just gives us more information. We could just say "the pans slid", and we would know what happened, but from the shelf tells us where they slid from. From  is a preposition, and the shelf is the object of the preposition. 

Answer 2

The subject describes who or what is doing the task.

The verb tells the action that takes place in the sentence.

The object is the entity acted upon by the subject.

 

 

Subjects here are:

We and kitchen shelf

 

Verbs here are:

romped and slid

 

 

The objects here are:

pans