Yishun Primary 3 English tuition should help students see the two large parts of a simple sentence: the subject, which tells who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate, which tells what happens, what the subject does or what is true about it.
This rebuilt legacy URL now owns one distinct P3 English job: sentence → subject → predicate → complete-thought check → expansion → punctuation. Old promotional copy, obsolete location claims, stale contact details and legacy media blocks have been removed.
eduKateSG does not claim a current Yishun branch. Current centres are at 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674. Selected Primary English classes run in focused 3-pax small groups, typically 1.5 hours.
The Direct Answer
Sentence:
“The small dog barked at the gate.”
Subject:
The small dog
Predicate:
barked at the gate
Subject answers “who or what?” Predicate answers “what about them?”
Simple Subject
Sentence:
“The small brown dog barked loudly.”
Complete subject:
the small brown dog.
Simple subject/head noun:
dog.
At P3, students can begin to see that the full subject may contain describing words around the main noun.
Complete Predicate
Sentence:
“The small brown dog barked loudly at the postman.”
The complete predicate includes the verb and everything that tells what the subject did.
Find the Verb First
When a sentence feels long, circle the main verb:
“The children near the playground are waiting for the bus.”
Then ask:
Who are waiting?
The children near the playground.
Worked Example: Linking Verb
“The soup is hot.”
Subject:
the soup.
Predicate:
is hot.
The predicate does not always describe an action. It can describe a state.
Worked Example: Has
“Mira has a new pencil case.”
Subject:
Mira.
Predicate:
has a new pencil case.
Worked Example: Can
“Amir can swim very well.”
Predicate includes the modal + verb + extra information.
Compound Subject
“Mira and Amir are reading.”
Subject:
Mira and Amir.
Predicate:
are reading.
The subject can contain more than one noun joined together.
Compound Predicate
“Mira opened the book and began to read.”
Subject:
Mira.
Predicate:
opened the book and began to read.
One subject can perform more than one action.
Subject Can Be Long
“The boy with the blue backpack near the door waved.”
Who waved?
“The boy with the blue backpack near the door.”
The whole noun phrase is the subject.
The Nearest-Noun Trap
Sentence:
“The box of pencils is heavy.”
Subject head:
box.
Nearby plural noun:
pencils.
Verb agrees with box, not the nearest noun.
Subject Can Come After the Verb in Questions
Statement:
“Mira is ready.”
Question:
“Is Mira ready?”
In questions, word order changes. Students should not assume “the first words are always the subject”.
Subject Can Be Missing in Commands
“Close the door.”
The understood subject is you.
The sentence is complete even though you is not written.
The Complete-Thought Test
Fragment:
“The boy near the gate.”
Subject-like noun phrase—but no complete predicate.
Repair:
“The boy near the gate is waiting for his mother.”
Predicate Without Clear Subject
Fragment:
“Ran quickly down the corridor.”
Who ran?
Repair:
“Amir ran quickly down the corridor.”
Worked Example: Sentence Unscrambling
Words:
the small bird / on the branch / is singing
Subject:
the small bird.
Predicate:
is singing on the branch.
Sentence:
“The small bird is singing on the branch.”
Subject–Predicate Boundary
Sentence:
“The students in the front row answered the question correctly.”
Boundary:
[The students in the front row] [answered the question correctly].
Bracket the two halves.
The Who/What Test
Ask:
Who or what is this sentence mainly about?
That phrase is the subject candidate.
The What-Happens Test
Ask:
What does the sentence tell us about that subject?
That part is the predicate.
Worked Example: Animal Sentence
“The two otters near the river bank played in the water.”
Subject:
the two otters near the river bank.
Predicate:
played in the water.
Worked Example: Description
“The classroom walls are bright blue.”
Subject:
the classroom walls.
Predicate:
are bright blue.
The predicate can describe a quality.
Worked Example: Location
“My bag is under the chair.”
Subject:
my bag.
Predicate:
is under the chair.
Subject vs Object
“Mira kicked the ball.”
Subject:
Mira.
Object inside predicate:
the ball.
The subject performs the action; the object receives/is affected by it.
Worked Example: Passive Voice Preview
“The ball was kicked by Mira.”
Grammatical subject:
the ball.
Even though Mira is the person who did the kicking.
At P3, keep this as an extension: grammatical subject is not always the “doer”.
Subject–Verb Agreement Link
He runs.
They run.
The dog is.
The dogs are.
Finding the subject helps choose the correct verb.
Worked Example: Agreement Trap
“The basket of apples is heavy.”
Subject head:
basket.
Do not let apples pull the verb into plural.
Predicate Expansion
Kernel:
“The dog barked.”
Expand predicate:
“The dog barked loudly at the gate after midnight.”
Subject stays stable; predicate grows.
Subject Expansion
Kernel:
“The dog barked.”
Expand subject:
“The frightened brown dog beside the gate barked.”
Predicate stays stable; subject grows.
The Kernel Method
Strip a long sentence down:
“The exhausted runners from the school team crossed the finish line slowly.”
Kernel:
“Runners crossed.”
Then restore details.
This helps comprehension of longer sentences.
Subject–Predicate in Editing
Draft:
“The group of students are waiting.”
Finding the subject head group helps diagnose agreement.
Repair in the one-unit reading:
“The group of students is waiting.”
Subject–Predicate in Composition
If a sentence becomes too long, identify:
- subject;
- main verb;
- predicate.
If the main subject and verb are hard to find, reduce and rebuild.
Subject–Predicate in Comprehension
Long sentence:
“The proposal submitted after weeks of discussion was finally approved.”
Subject:
the proposal submitted after weeks of discussion.
Predicate:
was finally approved.
Finding the two halves reduces processing load.
The Two-Box Method
| Subject | Predicate |
|---|---|
| The red bicycle | is beside the gate. |
| Mira and Amir | are reading quietly. |
| The box of pencils | is heavy. |
P3 Context
MOE’s Primary English Language Syllabus 2020 develops increasingly complex sentence structures and grammar through Primary levels. Subject–predicate awareness helps P3 learners build complete sentences, control agreement and parse longer reading sentences. Official reference: MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 Primary.
Common Subject–Predicate Failure Modes
| Symptom | Problem | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| Noun phrase mistaken for sentence | Predicate missing | Add verb/message |
| Predicate fragment with no subject | Actor/topic missing | Add subject |
| Nearest noun controls verb | Subject head missed | Find full subject |
| First words always called subject | Questions ignored | Use who/what test |
| Long sentence feels impossible | Boundary invisible | Bracket subject/predicate |
Why Three Students Helps
One student identifies the subject, one identifies the predicate and the third expands one side without changing the other, then checks that the sentence remains complete.
When Yishun Primary 3 Families May Consider This Support
- Fragments appear in writing.
- Subject–verb agreement is unstable.
- Long noun phrases make sentences hard to parse.
- Sentence unscrambling works by guess rather than structure.
What Progress Should Look Like
A stronger P3 learner can identify the full subject and predicate, locate the main verb, distinguish fragments from complete thoughts and use subject structure to support accurate agreement and sentence expansion.
Independent location notice: eduKateSG does not claim a current Yishun branch. Current centres: 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674. Contact +65 8823 1234.