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More on Subjects, Predicates, and Complements
Holt Handbook, Chapter 2: The Parts of a Sentence (34-60)
SUBJECT
A simple subject is a word or word group that tells whom or what the sentence is about.
A complete subject consists of the simple subject and any words or word groups that
modify the simple subject (39).
Example: A dog with this pedigree is usually nervous.
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Note: The subject of a sentence is NEVER in a prepositional phrase! A prepositional
phrase consists of a preposition, the object of a preposition and any modifiers of that
object (24).
Commonly used prepositions: after, as, at, before, but (meaning except), during, for, like,
of, since, to, until, with, without
Commonly used compound prepositions: according to, because of, in addition to, in front
of, in spite of, instead of, on account of, prior to, such as
Examples of prepositional phrases:
For the team, of min, through the years, on the top shelf, at all times, along with my niece
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A compound subject combines two subjects with a conjunction.
PREDICATE
The simple predicate, or verb, is the main word or word group (verb phrase: verb +
helping verb/s) that tells something about the subject.
List of commonly used helping verbs: am, are, can, could, did, do, does, had, has, have,
is, may, might, must, shall, should, was, were, will, would
The complete predicate consists of the verb and all the words that modify the verb and
complete its meaning (39).
COMPLEMENTS
Subject Complements
Subject complements complete the meaning/s of linking verbs only (48).
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Tip: To determine whether a verb in a sentence is linking, substitute a form a form of the
verb to be for the verb. If the sentence makes sense, the verb is most likely linking (17)!
Common forms of the verb to be: be, being, am, is, are, was, were, shall be, will be, has
been , have been, had been, shall have been, will have been, can be, may be, might be,
must be, should be, would be, could be, should have been, would have been, could have
been
Other linking verbs: appear, become, fell, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay,
taste, turn
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There are two types of subject complements: predicate nominatives and predicate
adjectives. A predicate nominative is a complement in the form of a noun or pronoun that
follows a linking verb and modifies the subject by identifying it or referring to it.
Example: Some caterpillars become butterflies. The noun “butterflies” follows the
linking verb become and identifies the subject caterpillars. A predicate adjective is a
complement in the form of an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies the
subject by describing it.
Example: You look happy. The adjective “happy” follows the linking verb look and
describes the subject you.
Object Complements
The object of a verb is a complement that, unlike a subject complement, does not identify
or modify the subject. An object of a verb is noun, pronoun or word group that completes
the meaning of a transitive verb (53).
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Transitive Verb: A verb that expresses action directed toward a person, place thing or
idea (noun or pronoun). A transitive verb always has an object or a word that tells who or
what receives the action of the verb (19).
Example: The cat was chasing a moth. The noun “moth” completes the meaning of the
verb chasing.
Note: Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive but intransitive verbs are verbs that do
not have objects. All linking verbs are intransitive!
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Direct object: answers Whom? Or What? after an action verb. Refer to the example
above. Chasing what? A moth.
Indirect object: answers To what or whom? or For what or whom? after an action verb.
Example: Jeff’s mother gave him some grapes. Again, the direct object (in this case,
grapes) answers what Jeff’s mother gave. To whom did Jeff’s mother give? him = the
indirect object.