The Parts of a Sentence The Functions of

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. �Example: �Mary Mc. Leod 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 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.