Welcome back to Grammar Through Video Games! Today, we’re heading into the Mushroom Kingdom to explore the building blocks of every sentence — with a little help from Mario.
Whether he’s jumping over Goombas or zooming down pipes, Mario doesn’t just star in games — he also makes grammar more fun.
🍄 What Is a Sentence?
Let’s start simple. A sentence is a complete thought. It has to tell us who is doing something and what they’re doing. If either piece is missing, it’s like trying to play Mario without a controller — something’s just not right.
Try this:
"Jumps over the lava."
Cool action, but who’s doing it?
Now try:
"Mario jumps over the lava." ✅
Now we have a complete thought. It makes sense on its own. That’s what a real sentence does.
🧱 Subject + Predicate = Sentence Power-Up
Every sentence has two key parts:
Subject – who or what the sentence is about
Predicate – what the subject is doing (or what’s being said about them)
In this example:
Mario grabs a Fire Flower.
Subject: Mario
Predicate: grabs a Fire Flower
It’s like a perfect pair — you can’t have a sentence without both.
🔍 Level Up: Complete Subjects and Predicates
Let’s take things a little further.
Some subjects are more detailed than just one word. Same goes for predicates.
Take this sentence:
The brave plumber Mario jumps over the Goomba.
Complete subject: The brave plumber Mario
Complete predicate: jumps over the Goomba
Just like in a game, the more pieces you add, the more exciting it gets — but the structure stays the same.
⚡ Power-Up: Compound Subjects and Predicates
Just like Mario doesn’t always go on adventures alone, sentences don’t always have just one subject or one action.
Sometimes, we level up.
🧑🤝🧑 Compound Subjects
A compound subject has two or more subjects joined by a word like and or or.
Example:
Mario and Luigi run through the castle.
Compound subject: Mario and Luigi
Predicate: run through the castle
Now we have more than one character doing the action. It’s like co-op mode for grammar.
🎯 Compound Predicates
A compound predicate means the subject is doing more than one action.
Example:
Mario runs and jumps over the Goomba.
Subject: Mario
Compound predicate runs and jumps over the Goomba
Mario isn’t just standing still. He’s doing multiple actions, just like in the games.
🧠 Boss Battle: Fragments and Run-On Sentences
Not every group of words is a perfect sentence. Sometimes things go wrong.
❌ Sentence Fragments
A fragment is an incomplete thought. Something is missing.
Example:
Because Mario is brave.
This leaves us thinking… what happened because he’s brave?
To fix it:
Because Mario is brave, he jumps into danger.
Now it’s a complete thought.
❌ Run-On Sentences
A run-on sentence happens when two ideas are pushed together without the proper punctuation.
Example:
Mario jumps over the lava he grabs a coin.
That’s too much happening without a pause.
To fix it:
Mario jumps over the lava, and he grabs a coin.
OR
Mario jumps over the lava. He grabs a coin.
Now the ideas are clear and easier to follow.
🚀 Next Level: Complex Sentences
Now we’re really leveling up.
A complex sentence has:
One main idea
One extra idea that adds more detail
These extra ideas often start with words like:
because, when, if, after, while
Example:
Mario jumps because the lava is hot.
Main idea: Mario jumps
Extra detail: because the lava is hot
It’s like adding a backstory to the action. We don’t just know what happened… we know why.
🎮 Why This Matters
As sentences grow, they become more interesting and more powerful. Just like in a Mario game, you start simple… but as you level up, you unlock new abilities.
Compound subjects, compound predicates, and complex sentences help students:
Add more detail
Connect ideas
Write more naturally
And the best part? They’re still built on the same foundation:
Subject + Predicate = Sentence
📝 Quick Practice (Feel free to try these with your students or your own kiddos!)
Part 1: Find the Subject and Predicate
Underline the subject and circle the predicate.
Mario stomps on the Koopa.
Luigi races toward the castle.
Princess Peach throws a heart.
Yoshi gobbles up a berry.
Bowser roars loudly.
Part 2: Identify the Complete Subject and Complete Predicate
Break each sentence into its full parts.
The red-capped hero runs through the tunnel.
A glowing Super Star gives Mario extra power.
The yellow block hovers in the air.
His loyal brother Luigi jumps on the flagpole.
The giant Piranha Plant waits near the pipe.
Part 3: Your Turn!
Write 3 sentences about Mario, Luigi, or any other Mushroom Kingdom character. Then, underline the complete subject and circle the complete predicate.
💡 Why This Works
Using familiar characters makes abstract grammar ideas feel real and even fun. When kids picture Mario dodging fireballs, they’re more likely to remember what a subject and predicate actually do.
And honestly? That’s the whole point of this series — turning grammar into something students want to explore.
You can now download printable PDF worksheets for all three levels in this lesson. Level 1 focuses on basic sentences, subjects, and predicates (suggested for Grades 1–3). Level 2 builds on that with compound subjects and predicates, plus more challenging sentence work (suggested for Grades 4–6). Level 3 takes things further with fragments, run-on sentences, complex sentences, and editing tasks (suggested for Grades 7–8). These grade levels are only a guide. All worksheets are designed to support anyone learning English, so feel free to choose the level that best fits your learners.
Thanks for stopping by Grammar Through Video Games!
If you enjoyed this, hit that ⭐️ or share it with another educator or parent who might love it too. I’ll be back soon with Nouns with Sonic — because blue blurs have grammar, too.
— Prof. Rock
Loved it!
This is officially my new favourite genre of Substack article :)