Meaning & use
subject
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Meanings
nouncountable
The thing being talked about, studied, or written about.
Grammar: Countable: one subject, two subjects.
Patterns
- subject of something
- on the subject of something
- change the subject
The subject of the lecture was climate change.
We spent the whole meeting on the subject of budgets.
That's a difficult subject to talk about.
nouncountable
An area of knowledge that you study at school or university.
Grammar: Countable: one subject, several subjects.
Patterns
- study a subject
- main subject
- subject teacher
My favorite subject is history.
She teaches three subjects at the local school.
He wants to study science subjects at university.
nouncountabletechnical
In grammar, the word or phrase that does the action of the verb or is described by it.
Grammar: Countable: the subject of a sentence.
Patterns
- subject of a sentence
- subject and verb
- subject pronoun
In 'The dog barked', 'the dog' is the subject.
The subject usually comes before the verb in English.
Use a subject pronoun like 'I' or 'she' as the subject.
adjectivenot comparable
Likely to be affected by something or made to experience it.
Grammar: Not comparable; used after a linking verb like 'be'.
Patterns
- subject to something
- be subject to change
- subject to approval
Prices are subject to change without notice.
All employees are subject to the same rules.
The plan is subject to approval by the committee.
verbtransitiveformal
To make someone experience something unpleasant or difficult.
Grammar: Takes an object: subject someone to something.
Patterns
- subject someone to something
The prisoners were subjected to harsh treatment.
Don't subject yourself to unnecessary stress.
The children were subjected to long delays.
Word forms
| plural | subjects |
|---|
Common combinations
- change the subject
- Let's change the subject and talk about something happier.
- on the subject of
- She wrote a book on the subject of modern art.
- subject to change
- The schedule is subject to change.
- favorite subject
- Math was always my favorite subject.
- subject matter
- The subject matter of the film is quite serious.
Synonyms and how they differ
- topic
- A topic is a subject you talk or write about, often in a conversation or text; subject is broader and can also mean a school subject.
- theme
- A theme is an important idea that repeats in a work of art or discussion; it is less general than subject.
- issue
- An issue is a subject that people disagree about or need to solve; it often suggests controversy.
Word family
- subjective adjective
- Based on personal feelings rather than facts.
- subjectively adverb
- In a way that is based on personal feelings.
- subjectivity noun
- The quality of being influenced by personal feelings.
Commonly confused: subject or object?
subject vs object
In grammar, the object receives the action while the subject performs it. In general use, an object is a thing you can see or touch, while a subject is a topic.
Practice
In the sentence 'The cat chased the mouse', what is the subject?
Choose one answer.
'The cat' performs the action of chasing, so it is the subject. 'The mouse' is the object because it receives the action.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subject”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.