The snow and ice that arrived last night elated kids and adults alike when they awoke to a winter wonderland. What is the simple subject of the sentence? snow and ice night kids and adults they

The correct answer is they.

A simple subject consists of one word only. There are several subjects in the sentence above: the snow and ice, and they. However, the first subject is not a simple one - it is a complete subject because it contains more than one word. The other example, kids and adults is not a subject at all - it is an object. The word night has an adverbial meaning and therefore cannot be the subject.

The simple subject is defined as the main word or word group that tells what or whom the sentence is about. Otherwise it the complete subject.

Going back, in the sentence, the simple subjects are kid and adults, snow and ice.