Identify the subject in the following sentence: The children played in the park.

The subject of a sentence is the person, animal, or thing that performs the action of the verb. In the sentence "The children played in the park," "The children" is the group performing the action of playing. This group is the focus of the sentence, indicating who is engaging in the activity.

The word "played" serves as the verb and describes the action being performed, while "in the park" is a prepositional phrase providing additional context about where the action is taking place. "The park" alone, while it is a noun, does not serve as the subject as it does not indicate who is performing any action in this sentence. Therefore, "The children" accurately identifies the subject that is central to the meaning of the sentence.