Subjects and uncoutable nouns

Question

Please help me answer this question for a student:

"I need a cup of water and two eggs."

Cup of water and Eggs are the subjects of this sentence.

Why is "cup of water" a subject and not just "water"?

Isn't "cup" an amount like "two"?

My personal response to this would be that "water" is a uncountable noun. How else would you explain? Thanks!

RandomGuy · Accepted Answer

ku1980rose"cup of water" and "two eggs" are the subjects of this sentence.

No, those are the direct objects of the verb need. The subject is I.

Fivejedjon · Answer

'Cup (of water)' and '(two) eggs' are direct objects in this sentence, not subjects.

ps. Foiled again! AG beat me to it.

Cool Breeze · Answer

As I don't know what the student's exact question is, it's difficult to give an answer to it. I is the subject of the sentence. A cup of water and two eggs is the object of the verb need. Even though there are differences in grammatical analysis around the world, I think that this view is universally accepted.

CB

Ku1980rose · Answer

I'm sorry. I wrote it wrong.

"A cup of water and two eggs are added to the recipe."

Cool Breeze · Answer

ku1980roseI'm sorry. I wrote it wrong. "A cup of water and two eggs are added to the recipe."

If you want water to be the subject, you need to write: Water is added to the recipe.

CB

Ku1980rose · Answer

I don't want water to be the subject. I am trying to explain why "cup of water" is the subject. You are not adding a "cup" to the recipe, you are adding "water", but the subject is not just "water". Being a native English speaker, sometimes it is difficult for me to explain why something works the way it works when writing or talking. It's just natural for me.

BarbaraPA · Answer

I consider "water" the subject and "a cup of" to be a... what's it called? Qualifier? Determiner?

Likek "alf a dozen" eggs or "a tablespoon of" salt.

CalifJim · Answer

ku1980roseI am trying to explain why "cup of water" is the subject. ... the subject is not just "water"

A cup of water and two eggs are added to the recipe.

The whole subject is even more than that. It's "a cup of water and two eggs". It's a compound subject. It has "a cup of water", and it has "two eggs", and they are joined by "and".

As for the first part "a cup of water", this is a matter of semantics. You might say that "cup" has two meanings. Of course you're not adding a physical solid cup to a recipe. Here "cup" refers to a measured amount, not to an object, and to introduce the substance being measured you put together the words "a cup of" and then mention the substance "water". That's how amounts of substances are expressed in English.

When speaking of "the subject of a sentence", you are not dealing with semantics (word meanings). You are dealing with syntax (sentence structures). Most of the time the subject is just the person or thing mentioned before the verb, no matter how it's worded. Strictly speaking, you can have subjects that are completely meaningless.

A wicked drone of telephone krill and many happy scraps are joined to the computer.

The subject is "a wicked drone of telephone krill and many happy scraps". The meaning (or lack of it) has little to do with what the subject is.

CJ

Ku1980rose · Answer

CalifJim ku1980roseI am trying to explain why "cup of water" is the subject. ... the subject is not just "water"A cup of water and two eggs are added to the recipe.The whole subject is even more than that. It's "a cup of water and two eggs". It's a compound subject. It has "a cup of water", and it has "two eggs", and they are joined by "and".As for the first part "a cup of water", this is a matter of semantics. You might say that "cup" has two meanings. Of course you're not adding a physical solid cup to a recipe. Here "cup" refers to a measured amount, not to an object, and to introduce the substance being measured you put together the words "a cup of" and then mention the substance "water". That's how amounts of substances are expressed in English.When speaking of "the subject of a sentence", you are not dealing with semantics (word meanings). You are dealing with syntax (sentence structures). Most of the time the subject is just the person or thing mentioned before the verb, no matter how it's worded. Strictly speaking, you can have subjects that are completely meaningless.A wicked drone of telephone krill and many happy scraps are joined to the computer.The subject is "a wicked drone of telephone krill and many happy scraps". The meaning (or lack of it) has little to do with what the subject is. CJ

Thank you! This is a perfect explanation.

RandomGuy · Answer

Grammar GeekI consider "water" the subject and "a cup of" to be a... what's it called? Qualifier? Determiner?

A cup of water is added to the recipe.

The determiner is a, indicating the noun (subject) cup (of water). The function of water is the object of the preposition of, not the subject of the sentence.

Subjects and uncoutable nouns

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