The Functions of Subjects, Predicates, and Complements The Parts of a Sentence The Functions of Subjects, Predicates, and Complements

A Sentence A group of words expressing a complete thought. Sentence: The importance of the minority party in American politics must be understood. Fragment (Not a Sentence): The importance of the minority party in America Sentence: This third political party will appeal to the dissatisfied in both of the established parties. Fragment: This third political party, appealing to the dissatisfied in both of the established parties

Subject and Predicate A sentence consists of two parts: the subject and predicate. The subject is the part about which something is said. Includes the simple subject and all of its modifiers. The predicate is the part which says something about the subject. Includes the verbs, complements and all modifiers. Examples: Faculty and students planned a new class schedule. At the end of the day comes our activity period.

Simple Subject The simple subject is the principal word or group of words in a sentence. Examples: A duplicating machine in constant use requires servicing everyday. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has many computers.

Simple Predicate (Verb) The principal word or group of words in a predicate is called the simple predicate, or the verb. Examples: Faculty and students planned a new class schedule. Faculty and students will be planning a new class schedule.

How to Find the Subject of a Sentence To find the subject, first find the verb, then ask “Who or What…?” Example: An armed guard walked outside the wall. Outside the wall walked an armed guard. The verb is walked – Who or what walked? = guard.

Compound Subjects and Verbs A compound subject consists of two or more subjects that are joined by a conjunction and have the same verb. Example: The White House and the Pentagon called a press conference. A compound verb consists of two or more verbs that are joined by a conjunction and have the same subject. Mary McLeod Bethune established schools and worked on government committees.

Other facts about sentences… The subject of a sentence is never in a prepositional phrase. Examples: Neither of the rivals survived the duel. Knowledge of grammar is an aid to good writing. The bottle of soda spilled in the kitchen.

Other facts about sentences… In sentences expressing a command or a request (imperative sentences), the subject is always you, even though the word you may not appear in the sentence. Examples: Stamp the envelopes before mailing them. (You) stamp the envelopes before mailing them. Please run some errands for me. (You) please run errands for me.

Other facts about sentences… To find the subject in a question, turn the question into statement form. Three forms: Verb first Are the sunflowers very tall? (The sunflowers are very tall.) Helping verb first Have you collected the seeds? (You have collected the seeds.) Adverb first When will Bill roast them? (Bill will roast them…) Note: Not all questions are in inverted order. Sometimes questions beginning with an adjective or a pronoun are in the usual subject order. Whose flower garden is in bloom? What is being planted?

Other facts about sentences… There and here are not usually subjects of a verb. Example: Here is the book. (book is the subject; here is an adverb telling where) There are arguments on both sides. (arguments is the subject; there is an expletive, an empty word)

Complements Some sentences express a complete thought by means of a subject and verb only (intransitive). Example: He thinks. Everybody left. Most sentences, however, have in the predicate one or more of the words that complete the meaning of the subject and verb. Frank caught a large tuna. She handed me a note. She seems happy. He called me lazy.

Direct and Indirect Objects Complements that receive or are affected by the action of the verb are called objects. Direct Objects – receives the action of the verb or shows the result of the action. It answers the question “What?” or “Whom?” after an action verb. I took Lena with me. (I took whom?) Jean has written her composition. (Jean has written what?) Except when it ends in –self(myself, himself), the object of a verb never refers to the same person or thing as the subject.

Direct and Indirect Objects Complements that receive or are affected by the action of the verb are called objects. Indirect Objects – precedes the direct object and usually tells to whom or for whom the action of the verb is done. If the word “to or for” is used before it, the noun or pronoun following it is part of a prepositional phrase; it is not an indirect object. Examples: Father promised me the car (promised the car “To whom?” or “For whom?” Answer = me Father promised the car to me. (NOT AN INDIRECT OBJECT)

Object Complements An object complement is an adjective, noun, or group of words acting as a noun that follows a direct object and describes or renames it. Examples: As adjectives (describe the direct object): The gift made me happy. She painted her room green. As nouns (renames the direct object): We chose Paula captain. The students called Ben a genius.

Subject Complements A subject complement is an adjective or a noun found in the predicate of a sentence that describes or renames the subject of a sentence. (subject complements must follow linking verbs.) There are two kinds of subject complements: Predicate Nominatives (rename) Jackson became a superstar. Tim is the better player. Predicate Adjectives (describe) The pizza smelled delicious. Harry is always late.

Sentence Patterns Pattern #1: Subject – Intransitive Verb The snow fell quickly in the afternoon. Pattern #2: Subject – Transitive Verb – DO He made some hot chocolate for his sister. Pattern #3: Subject – Transitive Verb – IO – DO I read my brother and my sister a story before bedtime.

Sentence Patterns Pattern #4: Subject – Transitive Verb – DO – OC(Adj.) All of that exercise made the children tired and hungry. Pattern #5: Subject – Transitive Verb – DO – OC(Noun) The committee appointed Tim fact-finder. Pattern #6: Subject – Linking Verb – Predicate Nominative Watson is Sherlock Holmes’s assistant. Pattern #7: Subject – Linking Verb – Predicate Adjective Jenny’s idea sounds interesting and practical.