Subject vs. Object

Main Difference

The main difference between Subject and Object is that a Subject is a person or thing that does something or that is something, whereas the Object is the person or thing receiving the action from the subject.

Subject vs. Object — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Subject and Object

Subject vs. Object

The subject refers to the noun in a sentence, which is doing something, whereas an object is the receiver of action in a sentence.

Subject vs. Object

A subject is a person or thing that does something, or that is being something; on the other hand, the object is the person or thing receiving the action from the subject.

Subject vs. Object

The subject comes before the verb; conversely, the object comes after the verb.

Subject vs. Object

The question words “what/who” are used to identify a subject; on the flip side, the question words “what/whom” are used to identify an object.

Subject vs. Object

The subject has three types “simple, compound, and complete subjects.” While an object is also classified into two types, these types are direct and indirect objects.

Subject vs. Object

In simple words, the subject is the doer of the action; on the contrary, the object is the receiver of the action.

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Subject vs. Object

In a sentence, the nominative case represents the subject; on the flip side, in case of an object, an accusative case represents it.

Subject vs. Object

In an active voice, sentence the noun or pronoun is a subject; inversely, the same noun or pronoun becomes the object in a sentence of the passive voice.

Subjectadjective

Likely to be affected by or to experience something.

a country subject to extreme heatMenu listings and prices are subject to change.He's subject to sneezing fits.

Objectnoun

A thing that has physical existence.

Subjectadjective

Conditional upon.

The local board sets local policy, subject to approval from the State Board.

Objectnoun

; the goal, end or purpose of something.

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Subjectadjective

Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.

Objectnoun

(grammar) The noun phrase which is an internal complement of a verb phrase or a prepositional phrase. In a verb phrase with a transitive action verb, it is typically the receiver of the action.

Subjectadjective

Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state.

Objectnoun

A person or thing toward which an emotion is directed.

Mary Jane had been the object of Peter's affection for years.The convertible, once the object of his desire, was now the object of his hatred.Where's your object of ridicule now?

Subjectnoun

(grammar) In a clause: the word or word group (usually a noun phrase) that is dealt with. In active clauses with verbs denoting an action, the subject and the actor are usually the same.

In the sentence ‘The mouse is eaten by the cat in the kitchen.’, ‘The mouse’ is the subject, ‘the cat’ being the agent.

Objectnoun

(object-oriented programming) An instantiation of a class or structure.

Subjectnoun

An actor; one who takes action.

The subjects and objects of power.

Objectnoun

(category theory) An element within a category upon which functions operate. Thus, a category consists of a set of element objects and the functions that operate on them.

Subjectnoun

The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc.

Objectnoun

(obsolete) Sight; show; appearance; aspect.

Subjectnoun

A particular area of study.

Her favorite subject is physics.

Objectverb

(intransitive) To disagree with something or someone; especially in a Court of Law, to raise an objection.

I object to the proposal to build a new airport terminal.

Subjectnoun

A citizen in a monarchy.

I am a British subject.

Objectverb

To offer in opposition as a criminal charge or by way of accusation or reproach; to adduce as an objection or adverse reason.

Subjectnoun

A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or state authority.

Objectverb

To set before or against; to bring into opposition; to oppose.

Subjectnoun

(music) The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.

Objectnoun

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow;

it was full of rackets, balls and other objects

Subjectnoun

A human, animal or an inanimate object that is being examined, treated, analysed, etc.

Objectnoun

the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable);

the sole object of her trip was to see her children

Subjectnoun

(philosophy) A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity.

Objectnoun

(grammar) a constituent that is acted upon;

the object of the verb

Subjectnoun

(logic) That of which something is stated.

Objectnoun

the focus of cognitions or feelings;

objects of thoughtthe object of my affection

Subjectnoun

(math) The variable in terms of which an expression is defined.

0, we have x

Objectverb

express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent;

She never objected to the amount of work her boss charged her withWhen asked to drive the truck, she objected that she did not have a driver's license

Subjectverb

To cause (someone or something) to undergo a particular experience, especially one that is unpleasant or unwanted.

Objectverb

be averse to or express disapproval of;

My wife objects to modern furniture

Subjectnoun

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion;

he didn't want to discuss that subjectit was a very sensitive topichis letters were always on the theme of love

Subjectnoun

some situation or event that is thought about;

he kept drifting off the topiche had been thinking about the subject for several yearsit is a matter for the police

Subjectnoun

a branch of knowledge;

in what discipline is his doctorate?teachers should be well trained in their subjectanthropology is the study of human beings

Subjectnoun

something (a person or object or scene) selected by an artist or photographer for graphic representation;

a moving picture of a train is more dramatic than a still picture of the same subject

Subjectnoun

a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation;

the subjects for this investigation were selected randomlythe cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities

Subjectnoun

a person who owes allegiance to that nation;

a monarch has a duty to his subjects

Subjectnoun

(grammar) one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the grammatical constituent about which something is predicated

Subjectnoun

(logic) the first term of a proposition

Subjectverb

cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to;

He subjected me to his awful poetryThe sergeant subjected the new recruits to many drillsPeople in Chernobyl were subjected to radiation

Subjectverb

make accountable for;

He did not want to subject himself to the judgments of his superiors

Subjectverb

make subservient; force to submit or subdue

Subjectverb

refer for judgment or consideration;

She submitted a proposal to the agency

Subjectadjective

not exempt from tax;

the gift will be subject to taxation

Subjectadjective

possibly accepting or permitting;

a passage capable of misinterpretationopen to interpretationan issue open to questionthe time is fixed by the director and players and therefore subject to much variation

Subjectadjective

being under the power or sovereignty of another or others;

subject peoplesa dependent prince

Comparison Chart

SubjectObject
The doer of the action in a sentenceThe receiver of the action in a sentence
Question Words
What or whoWhat or whom
Order
Precedes the verbFollows the verb
Classification
Simple, compound, and complete subjectDirect and indirect object
Agreement with Verb
Agrees with the verbDoes not agree with the verb
Represented By
Nominative caseAccusative case

Subject vs. Object

A subject is a person or thing that does something, or that is being something; on the other hand, the object is the person or thing receiving the action from the subject. The subject refers to the noun in a sentence that is doing something; on the flip side, an object is the ‘recipient of action or activity” in a sentence.

In simple words, the subject is ‘the doer of the action’ while the object is ‘receiving the action.’ Generally, the subject comes before the verb; on the contrary, the object comes after the verb. The question words “what/who” are used to identify a subject; on the other hand, the question words “what/whom” are used to identify an object.

The subject has three types. These types are “simple subjects, compound subjects, and complete subjects.” On the flip side of the coin, the object is also categorized into two types. These types are “direct objects and an indirect object.” In a sentence, the nominative case represents the subject. In the case of the object, the accusative case represents it. In an active voice, a sentence with the same noun or pronoun, which is a subject that becomes the object in a passive voice sentence.

What is the Subject?

A subject is a person or thing that does something, or that is being something. The subject refers to the noun in a sentence that is doing something. A subject is also a place person or thing which is being described in a sentence. In simple words, the subject is the ‘doer of the action.’ The question words “what/who” are used to identify a subject. In a sentence, the nominative case represents the subject.

The subject has three types. These types are “simple subjects, compound subjects, and complete subjects.” If the subject is a pronoun or a noun without any modifiers, it is a simple subject. If the subject includes all its modifiers, it is the complete subject. If the subject includes two simple subjects or two compound subjects or one of the two, then it is a compound subject.

In an active voice sentence, the same noun or pronoun, which is a subject, becomes the object in a sentence of the passive voice. Subject nouns can be any of “personal noun, proper noun, pronouns, or noun phrases.” The subject in a sentence agrees with the verb. For instance, the predicate verb must also be plural in a sentence if the subject is plural.

Moreover, the subject is an essential component of any sentence. It precedes the predicate or main verb, but sometimes it also comes after the verb. It happens in such cases when the sentence is a question or starts with “here or there.” The simplest sentences in English contains only a subject and a verb. The subject is not only a word but can also be a group of words.

Examples

  • “The lion chewed the bone.” (Lion is the subject)
  • “She broke her left arm.” (She is the subject)
  • “The oldest lady in the town died today.” (Man is the subject)
  • There were three mangoes on the shelf. (Mangoes is the subject.)

What is Object?

The object is the person or thing receiving the action from the subject. An object can be a “noun, a noun phrase, a pronoun, or a longer complex object (modified).” An object is the ‘recipient of work’ in a sentence. The object comes after the verb in the sequence of a sentence.

In the case of an object, the accusative case represents it. In a sentence of the active voice, the same noun or pronoun, which is a subject becomes the object in a sentence of the passive voice. An indirect object is known to be receiving the direct object. The identification of the direct object can find indirect objects. The question words “what/whom” are used to identify an object.

An object is also categorized into two types. These types are direct objects and indirect objects. The direct object is a noun/pronoun/noun phrase that is receiving the activity or showing the result of the activity. The indirect object is known as the recipient or receiver of the direct object. The verb having an object is a transitive verb, whereas the verb with no object is an intransitive verb. The object belongs only to a transitive verb. Intransitive verbs usually represent indirect objects. Transitive verbs usually represent direct objects.

Examples

  • “I love chocolate cake.” (Chocolate cake is an object)
  • Henry met David last Sunday. (David is an object)
  • She hit the ball. (Ball is an object)
  • I passed John the bowl of snacks. (‘Bowl of snacks is the direct object, John is the indirect object)
  • My sister put the cat into the garden. (Cat is the object)
Conclusion

Subject and object are the two main components of a sentence. Both have their different grammatical roles which they play in a sentence.