Subject vs. Object — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 23, 2023
Subject is what the sentence is about, usually doing or being something. Object is what is affected by the action of the subject.
Difference Between Subject and Object
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
In grammar, a Subject typically serves as the "doer" of an action or the one that a state is ascribed to. The Object, conversely, is often the recipient of the action or the entity being described.
In a sentence, the Subject usually appears before the verb. The Object is generally found after the verb, receiving the action of the subject.
Both Subject and Object are essential for constructing sentences, but they serve different syntactic roles. The Subject usually governs the verb, while the Object is governed by the verb.
Different languages may place the Subject and Object in varying positions within a sentence, but the roles remain fundamentally the same. For instance, in English, the Subject often precedes the Object; in Japanese, the Object often comes before the verb but after the Subject.
In linguistic analysis, identifying the Subject and Object can be crucial for understanding the meaning and structure of a sentence. This identification can vary based on the tense, mood, or voice of the sentence for both the Subject and the Object.
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Comparison Chart
Role in Sentence
Doer of action
Receiver of action
Position in English
Usually before verb
Usually after verb
Relationship to Verb
Governs the verb
Governed by the verb
Function
What sentence is about
Affected by the subject
Variable Placement
Yes, by language
Yes, by language
Compare with Definitions
Subject
Subject is the main topic in a sentence.
Dogs are loyal.
Object
Object answers questions like "whom?" or "what?" in a sentence.
She saw him.
Subject
Subject performs or receives an action in a sentence.
She runs every morning.
Object
A material thing that can be seen and touched
Small objects such as shells
He was dragging a large object
Subject
Subject can be a noun, pronoun, or phrase.
Reading is fun.
Object
A person or thing to which a specified action or feeling is directed
Disease became the object of investigation
He hated being the object of public attention
Subject
Subject can be implied, especially in commands.
Go away!
Object
A noun or noun phrase governed by an active transitive verb or by a preposition
In Gaelic the word order is verb, subject, object
Subject
Subject agreement with the verb is crucial.
He eats regularly.
Object
A data construct that provides a description of anything known to a computer (such as a processor or a piece of code) and defines its method of operation
The interface treats most items, including cells, graphs, and buttons, as objects
Subject
A person or thing that is being discussed, described, or dealt with
I've said all there is to be said on the subject
He's the subject of a major new biography
Object
Say something to express one's opposition to or disagreement with something
‘It doesn't seem natural,’ she objected
The boy's father objected that the police had arrested him unlawfully
Residents object to the volume of traffic
Subject
A branch of knowledge studied or taught in a school, college, or university
Maths is not my best subject
Object
A specific, individual, material entity, especially one that is not living or not sentient.
Subject
A member of a state other than its ruler, especially one owing allegiance to a monarch or other supreme ruler
The legislation is applicable only to British subjects
Object
A focus of attention, feeling, thought, or action
A product that was so bad it became an object of derision.
Subject
A noun or noun phrase functioning as one of the main components of a clause, being the element about which the rest of the clause is predicated.
Object
A limiting factor that must be considered
Since money is no object, let's eat at that fancy place.
Subject
A thinking or feeling entity; the conscious mind; the ego, especially as opposed to anything external to the mind.
Object
The purpose, aim, or goal of a specific action or effort
The object of the game.
Subject
Likely or prone to be affected by (a particular condition or occurrence, typically an unwelcome or unpleasant one)
He was subject to bouts of manic depression
Object
A noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that receives or is affected by the action of a verb within a sentence.
Subject
Dependent or conditional upon
The proposed merger is subject to the approval of the shareholders
Object
A noun or substantive governed by a preposition and typically following it.
Subject
Under the authority of
Ministers are subject to the laws of the land
Object
(Philosophy) Something intelligible to or perceptible by the mind.
Subject
Conditionally upon
Subject to the EC's agreement, we intend to set up an enterprise zone in the area
Object
A discrete item than can be selected and maneuvered, such as an onscreen graphic.
Subject
Cause or force someone or something to undergo (a particular experience or form of treatment, typically an unwelcome or unpleasant one)
He'd subjected her to a terrifying ordeal
Object
In object-oriented programming, a structure that combines data and the procedures necessary to operate on that data.
Subject
Bring (a person or country) under one's control or jurisdiction, typically by using force
The city had been subjected to Macedonian rule
Object
To present a dissenting or opposing argument; raise an objection
Objected to the testimony of the witness.
Subject
Being in a position or in circumstances that place one under the power or authority of another or others
Subject to the law.
Object
To be averse to or express disapproval of something
Objects to modern materialism.
Subject
Prone; disposed
A child who is subject to colds.
Object
To put forward in or as a reason for opposition; offer as criticism
They objected that discipline was lacking.
Subject
Likely to incur or receive; exposed
A directive subject to misinterpretation.
Object
A thing that has physical existence but is not alive.
Subject
Contingent or dependent
A vacation subject to changing weather.
Object
; goal, end or purpose of something.
Subject
One who is under the rule of another or others, especially one who owes allegiance to a government or ruler.
Object
(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.
Subject
One concerning which something is said or done; a person or thing being discussed or dealt with
A subject of gossip.
Object
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?
Subject
Something that is treated or indicated in a work of art.
Object
(object-oriented programming) An instantiation of a class or structure.
Subject
(Music) A theme of a composition, especially a fugue.
Object
(category theory) An instance of one of the two kinds of entities that form a category, the other kind being the arrows (also called morphisms).
Similarly, there is a category whose objects are groups and whose arrows are the homomorphisms from one group to another.
Subject
A course or area of study
Math is her best subject.
Object
(obsolete) Sight; show; appearance; aspect.
Subject
A basis for action; a cause.
Object
(intransitive) To disagree with or oppose something or someone; (especially in a Court of Law) to raise an objection.
I object to the proposal to build a new airport terminal.
We strongly object to sending her to jail for ten years.
Subject
One that experiences or is subjected to something
The subject of ridicule.
Object
To offer in opposition as a criminal charge or by way of accusation or reproach; to adduce as an objection or adverse reason.
Subject
A person or animal that is the object of medical or scientific study
The experiment involved 12 subjects.
Object
To set before or against; to bring into opposition; to oppose.
Subject
A corpse intended for anatomical study and dissection.
Object
To set before or against; to bring into opposition; to oppose.
Of less account some knight thereto object,Whose loss so great and harmful can not prove.
Some strong impediment or other objecting itself.
Pallas to their eyesThe mist objected, and condensed the skies.
Subject
One who is under surveillance
The subject was observed leaving the scene of the murder.
Object
To offer in opposition as a criminal charge or by way of accusation or reproach; to adduce as an objection or adverse reason.
He gave to him to object his heinous crime.
Others object the poverty of the nation.
The book . . . giveth liberty to object any crime against such as are to be ordered.
Subject
(Grammar) The noun, noun phrase, or pronoun in a sentence or clause that denotes the doer of the action or what is described by the predicate.
Object
To make opposition in words or argument; to express one's displeasure; - usually followed by to; as, she objected to his vulgar language.
Subject
(Logic) The term of a proposition about which something is affirmed or denied.
Object
That which is put, or which may be regarded as put, in the way of some of the senses; something visible or tangible and persists for an appreciable time; as, he observed an object in the distance; all the objects in sight; he touched a strange object in the dark.
Subject
The mind or thinking part as distinguished from the object of thought.
Object
Anything which is set, or which may be regarded as set, before the mind so as to be apprehended or known; that of which the mind by any of its activities takes cognizance, whether a thing external in space or a conception formed by the mind itself; as, an object of knowledge, wonder, fear, thought, study, etc.
Object is a term for that about which the knowing subject is conversant; what the schoolmen have styled the "materia circa quam."
The object of their bitterest hatred.
Subject
A being that undergoes personal conscious or unconscious experience of itself and of the world.
Object
That toward which the mind, or any of its activities, is directed; that on which the purpose are fixed as the end of action or effort; that which is sought for; goal; end; aim; motive; final cause.
Object, beside its proper signification, came to be abusively applied to denote motive, end, final cause . . . . This innovation was probably borrowed from the French.
Let our object be, our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country.
Subject
The essential nature or substance of something as distinguished from its attributes.
Object
Sight; show; appearance; aspect.
He, advancing closeUp to the lake, past all the rest, aroseIn glorious object.
Subject
To cause to experience, undergo, or be acted upon
Suspects subjected to interrogation.
Rocks subjected to intense pressure.
Object
A word, phrase, or clause toward which an action is directed, or is considered to be directed; as, the object of a transitive verb.
Subject
To subjugate; subdue.
Object
Any set of data that is or can be manipulated or referenced by a computer program as a single entity; - the term may be used broadly, to include files, images (such as icons on the screen), or small data structures.
Subject
To submit to the authority of
Peoples that subjected themselves to the emperor.
Object
Anything which exists and which has attributes; distinguished from attributes, processes, and relations.
Subject
Likely to be affected by or to experience something.
A country subject to extreme heat
Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
He's subject to sneezing fits.
Object
Opposed; presented in opposition; also, exposed.
Subject
Conditional upon something; used with to.
The local board sets local policy, subject to approval from the State Board.
Object
A tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow;
It was full of rackets, balls and other objects
Subject
Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.
Object
The goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable);
The sole object of her trip was to see her children
Subject
Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state.
Object
(grammar) a constituent that is acted upon;
The object of the verb
Subject
(grammar) In a clause: the word or word group (usually a noun phrase) about whom the statement is made. In active clauses with verbs denoting an action, the subject and the actor are usually the same.
In the sentence ‘The cat ate the mouse’, ‘the cat’ is the subject, ‘the mouse’ being the object.
Object
The focus of cognitions or feelings;
Objects of thought
The object of my affection
Subject
An actor; one who takes action.
The subjects and objects of power.
Object
Express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent;
She never objected to the amount of work her boss charged her with
When asked to drive the truck, she objected that she did not have a driver's license
Subject
The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc.
Object
Be averse to or express disapproval of;
My wife objects to modern furniture
Subject
A particular area of study.
Her favorite subject is physics.
Object
Object is the receiver of the action in a sentence.
She loves dogs.
Subject
A citizen in a monarchy.
I am a British subject.
Object
Object can be a noun, pronoun, or phrase.
I caught the ball.
Subject
A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or state authority.
Object
Object can be direct or indirect.
He gave Mary a book.
Subject
(music) The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.
Object
Object is usually governed by a verb or preposition.
She is good at swimming.
Subject
A human, animal or an inanimate object that is being examined, treated, analysed, etc.
Subject
(philosophy) A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity.
Subject
(logic) That of which something is stated.
Subject
(math) The variable in terms of which an expression is defined.
0, we have x
Subject
To cause (someone or something) to undergo a particular experience, especially one that is unpleasant or unwanted.
I came here to buy souvenirs, not to be subjected to a tirade of abuse!
Subject
(transitive) To make subordinate or subservient; to subdue or enslave.
Subject
Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.
Subject
Placed under the power of another; specifically (International Law), owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state; as, Jamaica is subject to Great Britain.
Esau was never subject to Jacob.
Subject
Exposed; liable; prone; disposed; as, a country subject to extreme heat; men subject to temptation.
All human things are subject to decay.
Subject
Obedient; submissive.
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities.
Subject
That which is placed under the authority, dominion, control, or influence of something else.
Subject
Specifically: One who is under the authority of a ruler and is governed by his laws; one who owes allegiance to a sovereign or a sovereign state; as, a subject of Queen Victoria; a British subject; a subject of the United States.
Was never subject longed to be a king,As I do long and wish to be a subject.
The subject must obey his prince, because God commands it, human laws require it.
Subject
That which is subjected, or submitted to, any physical operation or process; specifically (Anat.), a dead body used for the purpose of dissection.
Subject
That which is brought under thought or examination; that which is taken up for discussion, or concerning which anything is said or done.
Make choice of a subject, beautiful and noble, which . . . shall afford an ample field of matter wherein to expatiate.
The unhappy subject of these quarrels.
Subject
The person who is treated of; the hero of a piece; the chief character.
Writers of particular lives . . . are apt to be prejudiced in favor of their subject.
Subject
That of which anything is affirmed or predicated; the theme of a proposition or discourse; that which is spoken of; as, the nominative case is the subject of the verb.
The subject of a proposition is that concerning which anything is affirmed or denied.
Subject
That in which any quality, attribute, or relation, whether spiritual or material, inheres, or to which any of these appertain; substance; substratum.
That which manifests its qualities - in other words, that in which the appearing causes inhere, that to which they belong - is called their subject or substance, or substratum.
Subject
The principal theme, or leading thought or phrase, on which a composition or a movement is based.
The earliest known form of subject is the ecclesiastical cantus firmus, or plain song.
Subject
The incident, scene, figure, group, etc., which it is the aim of the artist to represent.
Subject
To bring under control, power, or dominion; to make subject; to subordinate; to subdue.
Firmness of mind that subjects every gratification of sense to the rule of right reason.
In one short view subjected to our eye,Gods, emperors, heroes, sages, beauties, lie.
He is the most subjected, the most nslaved, who is so in his understanding.
Subject
To expose; to make obnoxious or liable; as, credulity subjects a person to impositions.
Subject
To submit; to make accountable.
God is not bound to subject his ways of operation to the scrutiny of our thoughts.
Subject
To make subservient.
Subjected to his service angel wings.
Subject
To cause to undergo; as, to subject a substance to a white heat; to subject a person to a rigid test.
Subject
The subject matter of a conversation or discussion;
He didn't want to discuss that subject
It was a very sensitive topic
His letters were always on the theme of love
Subject
Some situation or event that is thought about;
He kept drifting off the topic
He had been thinking about the subject for several years
It is a matter for the police
Subject
A branch of knowledge;
In what discipline is his doctorate?
Teachers should be well trained in their subject
Anthropology is the study of human beings
Subject
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
Subject
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 randomly
The cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities
Subject
A person who owes allegiance to that nation;
A monarch has a duty to his subjects
Subject
(grammar) one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the grammatical constituent about which something is predicated
Subject
(logic) the first term of a proposition
Subject
Cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to;
He subjected me to his awful poetry
The sergeant subjected the new recruits to many drills
People in Chernobyl were subjected to radiation
Subject
Make accountable for;
He did not want to subject himself to the judgments of his superiors
Subject
Make subservient; force to submit or subdue
Subject
Refer for judgment or consideration;
She submitted a proposal to the agency
Subject
Not exempt from tax;
The gift will be subject to taxation
Subject
Possibly accepting or permitting;
A passage capable of misinterpretation
Open to interpretation
An issue open to question
The time is fixed by the director and players and therefore subject to much variation
Subject
Being under the power or sovereignty of another or others;
Subject peoples
A dependent prince
Common Curiosities
What is a Subject in grammar?
In grammar, a Subject is what the sentence is about, usually doing or being something.
Can the Subject be implied?
Yes, especially in commands.
Where does the Object usually appear?
The Object usually appears after the verb in English.
What is an Object in grammar?
An Object is what is affected by the action of the Subject.
Where does the Subject usually appear?
In English, the Subject usually appears before the verb.
What's the function of the Subject?
The function of the Subject is to serve as the topic or "doer" in the sentence.
What questions can identify the Object?
Questions like "whom?" or "what?" can identify the Object in a sentence.
What types of words can be Objects?
Objects can be nouns, pronouns, or phrases.
Can a sentence have more than one Object?
Yes, sentences can have multiple Objects, such as direct and indirect Objects.
Do Subjects and Objects change in different languages?
Yes, their placement can vary based on the language.
What's the function of the Object?
The function of the Object is to receive the action or be affected by the Subject.
What happens if the Subject and verb don't agree?
Subject-verb disagreement can make a sentence grammatically incorrect.
Can a sentence exist without a Subject?
Generally, no, although implied Subjects can exist in commands.
Can a sentence exist without an Object?
Yes, many sentences don't require an Object.
Can an Object be optional in a sentence?
Yes, not all sentences require an Object.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
