direct and indirect objects, subject complements, Lecture notes of Grammar and Composition

Download direct and indirect objects, subject complements and more Lecture notes Grammar and Composition in PDF only on Docsity! COMPLEMENTS DIRECT AND INDIRECT OBJECTS, SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS A complement is a word or word group that completes the meaning of a verb. Every sentence has a subject and a verb. Sometimes the subject and the verb can express a complete thought all by themselves.  Examples: Adriana swam. The puppy was sleeping. RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS Incomplete: The elephant seemed (what?) Complete: The elephant seemed tired. (The adjective tired completes the meaning of the verb seemed. RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS An adverb is never a complement. Adverb: The koala chews slowly. (The adverb slowly modifies the verb by telling how the koala chews. Complements: The koala chews eucalyptus leaves. (The noun leaves completes the meaning of the verb chews by telling what the koala chews.) RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS A complement is never a part of a prepositional phrase. Object of Preposition: Hannah is riding to her friend’s house. (The noun house is the object of the preposition to.) Complement: Hannah is riding her bicycle. (The noun bicycle completes the meaning of the verb phrase is riding by telling what Hannah is riding.) DIRECT OBJECTS A direct object answers the question Whom? or What? after a transitive verb.  Examples: My brother bought a model. (My brother bought what? Bought a model. The noun model receives the action of the verb bought.) Jan called somebody for the assignment. (Jan called whom? Called somebody. The pronoun somebody receives the action of the verb called.) DIRECT OBJECTS A direct object may be a compound of two or more objects. Examples: Did the car have spoked wheels and a spoiler? (The compound direct object of the verb Did have is wheel and spoiler.) She needed glue, paint, and decals for her model. (The compound direct object of the verb needed is glue, paint, and decals.) DIRECT OBJECTS A direct object can never follow a linking verb because a linking verb does not express action. Linking Verb: Julia Morgan was an architect. (The verb was does not express action; therefore, architect is not a direct object.) INDIRECT OBJECTS  Examples: I gave that problem some thought. (The noun problem is the indirect object of the verb gave and answers the question “To what did I give some thought?”) Dad bought himself some peanuts. (The pronoun INDIRECT OBJECTS If the word to or for is used, the nouns, pronoun, or word group following it is part of a prepositional phrase and cannot be an indirect object. Objects of Prepositions: The ship’s captain gave orders to the crew. Vinnie made some lasagna for us. INDIRECT OBJECTS Like a direct object, an indirect object can be compound.  Examples: She gave Ed and me the list of summer activities. (Ed and me are indirect objects of the verb gave. They answer the question “To whom did she give the list?”) Did the peacock show you and your sister its tail SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS  Examples: He was the one in the middle of the line, in fact. (The subject complement one identifies the subject He. The linking verb was connects He and one.) The author of that story is Anne McCaffrey. (The SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS Subject complements always complete the meaning of linking verbs, not action verbs. Common Li king Verb Appear Become Grow Remain Smell Stay Be Feel Look Seem Sound Taste The two kinds of subject complements are the predicate nominative and the predicate adjective. PREDICATE NOMINATIVES A predicate nominative is a word or word group that is in the predicate and that identifies the subject or refers to it. A predicate nominative may be a noun, a pronoun, or a word group that functions as a noun. A predicated nominative is PREDICATE NOMINATIVES Be careful not to mistake a direct object for a predicate nominative. A predicate nominative always completes the meaning of a linking verb. Direct Object: My brother admired the acrobat. (Acrobat is the direct object of the action verb admired.) PREDICATE NOMINATIVES  Examples: Maya Angelou is a great poet and storyteller. (Poet and storyteller are predicate nominatives. They identify the subject Maya Angelou and complete the meaning of the linking verb is.) Is the shark a fish or a PREDICATE NOMINATIVES  Examples: Yesterday was my birthday, Labor Day, and the first day of the week! (Birthday, Labor Day, and day are predicate nominatives. They identify the subject Yesterday and complete the meaning of the linking