the subject

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   The person or thing that performs the action of a verb in a sentence.

   Grammar: Used in grammar to talk about sentence structure; often followed by 'of' or 'in'.

   Patterns

   • the subject of a sentence
   • the subject of the verb

   In 'The cat chased the mouse', 'the cat' is the subject.

   The subject usually comes before the verb in English statements.

   Can you identify the subject in this question?

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   The main topic or theme being discussed, studied, or written about.

   Grammar: Often used with 'of' or 'in' to show what the topic belongs to.

   Patterns

   • the subject of discussion
   • change the subject

   The subject of the meeting was next year's budget.

   Let's change the subject; this is getting uncomfortable.

   Her book covers the subject of climate change in detail.

3. 3phrasefixed phrasetechnical

   A person or thing that is being tested, studied, or treated in an experiment or medical context.

   Grammar: Used in scientific or medical contexts; often followed by 'of' or 'in'.

   Patterns

   • the subject of an experiment
   • human subjects

   The researchers observed the subject's reaction to the new drug.

   Each subject in the study was given a questionnaire.

   The subject of the experiment was a healthy adult male.

Common combinations

change the subject

When the conversation turned to politics, she quickly changed the subject.

the subject of something

The subject of his speech was the importance of education.

on the subject of

I have nothing more to say on the subject of your complaint.

drop the subject

Let's drop the subject and talk about something else.

Synonyms and how they differ

topic

Use 'topic' for the general theme of a conversation or text; 'subject' is more formal and can also refer to a field of study.

theme

'Theme' often suggests a recurring idea in a work of art or literature, while 'subject' is broader and more neutral.

issue

'Issue' often implies a problem or matter under debate; 'subject' is more neutral and simply means what is being discussed.

Word family

subject adjective

Meaning 'likely to be affected by something', as in 'subject to change'.

subjective adjective

Based on personal feelings or opinions rather than facts.

subject matter noun

The content or topic of a book, film, etc.

Commonly confused: the subject or object?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “the subject”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words