Download GWS – Chapter 15 – Parts of a Sentence Notes

A.L. - Parts of a Sentence Notes
Subject – a word or word group that tells whom or what the sentence is about.
To find the subject of a sentence, ask Who? or What? is doing the action in the sentence.
Predicate – a fancy name for the verb, the word or word group that tells something about
the subject.
Example:
S
V
Rain pelted the sailors.
Most of the time, the subject will come before the verb, but not always.
V
S
Away on the breeze sailed the dry leaves.
Both the subject and predicate can be compound.
Examples:
S
S
V
Michelle and Chondra led the petition drive.
V
S
V
V
Would you rather wash the dishes or dry them?
S
S V V
V
Anna and Lyle will sing and dance in the talent show.
The subject in an imperative sentence (one that is a command or request) is always you,
even if the word you does not appear in the sentence. If a name is given in an imperative
sentence, the subject is still you.
Examples:
Please turn off the lights.
The subject is you because that is who is being asked to turn off the lights.
Tyler, please turn off the lights.
Even though Tyler’s name is used, the subject is still you, because Tyler is being asked
directly.
The subject and the verb of a sentence can NEVER be found in a prepositional phrase.
Cross off all prepositional phrases. It will make finding the subject and predicate easier.
Example:
S
P O
V
A committee of students investigated the allegations.
Committee is the subject. The committee is doing the investigating. Students is the object of
the preposition of.
The subject in a sentence expressing a question usually follows the verb or comes
between the parts of a verb phrase.
Example:
V
S
Are these jeans on sale?
V
S
V
What year did Mr. Jones retire from teaching?
The words here and there are almost never the subject of a sentence. They are typically
adverbs. Like prepositional phrases, cross of the words here and there. It will make
finding the subject and predicate easier.
Examples:
V
S
There goes Rebecca.
V
S
Here is your receipt.
Complements – a word or word group that completes the meaning of the verb. There are
four types – direct object, indirect object, objective complement, and subject complement.
Direct object – a complement that tells who or what receives the action of a verb or shows
the result of the action. The direct object is a noun or pronoun.
To find a direct object ask Whom ? or What? after a transitive verb.
Examples:
S
V
DO
The employer interviewed several applicants for the job.
S
V
DO
They usually buy whatever is on sale.
A direct object may be compound.
Example:
S
V
DO
DO
The team included Bob and Ray.
Indirect object – a complement that often appears in sentences containing direct objects
and that tells to whom or to what or for whom or for what the action of the transitive verb is done.
An indirect object is a noun, pronoun, or a word group that functions as a noun.
Examples:
S
V
IO
DO
Julie’s part-time work experience earned her a full-time position.
S
V
IO
DO
The teacher gives whoever turns in the earliest paper a bonus.
Objective complement – a complement that helps complete the meaning of a transitive
verb by identifying or modifying the direct object.
An objective complement is a noun, pronoun or adjective.
Only a few verbs take objective complements – consider, m ake, and any verb that can be
replaced by consider or m ake like appoint, believe, call, choose, color, cut, dye, elect, find, keep, name,
paint, render, and sweep.
Examples:
S
V
DO
OC (noun)
France made Miles Davis a knight in the Legion of Honor.
S
V
DO
OC (adj)
Garfield considers the refrigerator his.
S V
V
DO OC (adj)
We have painted the new house blue.
Subject complements - a complement that identifies or modifies the subject of a linking
verb. There are two types of subject complements – predicate nominative and predicate
adjective.
Predicate nominative – a subject complement that identifies or refers to the subject of a
linking verb.
The predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun.
Examples:
PN V
S
Who are the people over there?
S
V
PN
Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite poet.
S
V
PN
The object of the game is to trap your opponent in a corner.
S
V PN
PN
The last people off the bus were Julie and I.
Predicate adjective – a subject complement in the predicate that modifies the subject of a
linking verb.
The predicate adjective is an adjective.
Examples:
S
V PA
Your lotus-blossom necklace is lovely.
V
S
V
PA
Does the cottage cheese smell sour?
S V
PA
That small wood flute is South American.
Seven Common Sentence Patterns
S
V
Velma painted.
S
V
DO
Velma painted a landscape.
S V
IO
DO
The judge gave Velma an award.
S
V
DO
OC (noun)
They considered her landscape a masterpiece.
S
V
DO
OC (adj.)
They called the painting brilliant.
S V
V
PN
Velma has become a celebrity.
S V PA
She is famous.