I need to find the verb and the subject in this sentence and I am having trouble-

1. On and on, through the night, rode the messenger.

This one is tricky!

What is the action in here? What is the ONE WORD which a person can DO?

That's the verb.

Then ask yourself who's doing that?

Let me know.

=)

rephrase:

The messenger rode through the night, on and on.

Does that help?

I think the subject is messanger and the verb is rode?

You're right, Trevor.

Messenger is the subject, and the verb is rode.

I think rode is the verb and messenger is the subject?

Here's another one-

Several photographs and candles were on the mantel.

I think photographs and candles is the subject and several is the verb?

Okay-so were is the verb?

3 more questions-just to make sure!

1.In the garden the onions and the tomatoes sprouted among the other vegetables. (Vegetables is the subject and sprouted is the verb?)

2.The porpoises and dolphins leaped through the hoop. (porpoises and dolphins is the subject and leaped is the verb?)

3. Beyond the trees, gleaming in the sun, flowed the wide river. (gleaming is the verb and river is the subject?)

Yes. Were is the verb.

1. You're right about sprouted being the verb. But vegetables is in a prepositional phrase (among the other vegetables) so it can't be the subject. The subject is the two things that sprouted. What are they?

2. You're completely right for this one! :-)

3. You're right about the river as subject. But the verb is incorrect. What did the river do?

1.onions and tomatoes is the verb?

3. flowed is the verb?

Couple more questions-I don't quite have it-
1. Into the store burst the excited shopper. (burst is the verb and shoppers is the subject?)

2.In the cockpit the pilot checked the instruments (instruments is the subject and checked is the verb?)

3.In the junkyard lay a pile of old tires and rusty fenders. (tires and fenders is the subject and lay is the verb?)

4. In the distance we could see a bright yellow car. (see is the verb and car is the subject?)

You've got the first group right.

Onions and tomatoes is the subject of the first sentence. Flowed is the verb of the third sentence.

In the next group -- you're right about 1.

In # 2, did the instruments do the checking? Who did the checking?

# 3 is correct. :-)

# 4 -- did the car see? Who could see?