Sentences (all clauses, for that matter) are made up of at least two of
these four basic parts: subjects, verbs, complements, and modifiers. The
sentence (and the independent and dependent clause as well) must have an
explicit or implicit subject and verb. In most standard written English
sentences, the subject and verb are explicitly stated, and you are certainly
encouraged to favor that practice in your writing for academic or career situations.
Subject
Subjects are always nouns or noun equivalents (pronouns, gerunds,
certain infinitives, phrases made from these verbals, and noun clauses). The
subject is the person, place, or thing that does or controls the action of the
verb. It is the concept that answers the question
who? o
r what? does or
is in relation to the verb.
Example :
·
John eats flies. (Who eats? John does.)
·
Minerva is
tired. (Who is? Minerva is.)
·
There is a book missing. (What is'? Book is. In this
Verb
Definition: Verbs are a class of
words used to show the performance of an action (do, throw, run), existence
(be), possession (have), or state (know, love) of a subject. To put it simply a
verb shows what something or someone does.
The verb is most often defined
as the word or words that express action or state of being. The trouble with
this definition is that it is so broad that it is difficult to pin down just
when a word expresses action" or "being." Verbals seem to
express action, and even some nouns seem to convey a sense of action (the race,
his answer, my worry, for example).
Example:
- I stay with friends every year.
- I am staying with friends at the moment.
Complement
The term complement refers to
the word or words of a sentence (or clause) that complete the verb or,
more specifically, that complete the subject-verb relationship when such a
"completing" idea is
necessary to the sense of the
sentence or clause. "Ada turnips," for example is not complete.
Neither is "Grows turnips," for that matter. But "Ada grows
turnips" is a completed idea. Turnips completes the subject and
verb, "Ada grows." (Now, "Ada grows" is a complete thought,
too, but it means something entirely different from "Ada grows
turnips.")
In some sentences and clauses we
have an "actor" (such as Ada) and an "action" (such as
grows), and that is all that is necessary to the meaning of the sentence. In
other sentences and clauses there are an "actor," an
"action," and something "acted upon," such as turnips in
our example above.
There are several ways by which the
subject and verb of a sentence or clause can be completed, depending largely on
the nature of the verb. In relation to their ability to take complements in a
subject-verb combination, verbs may be divided into three categories: transitive
(those which require noun objects to complete them), intransitive (those
which do not require noun objects), and linking (those which establish a
notion of "equality" between the subject and a noun or adjective
complement.
A fourth category might be added: passive.
Although passive voice verbs are always formed from transitive verbs, a
passive voice verb may take a complement that is either a noun or an adjective.
Let's look at these complements one
by one:
1. Subjective Complement:
The subjective complement (sometimes called a predicate nominative when it is a
noun or predicate adjective when it is an adjective) does just what its
name implies--it completes the subject. There exists the idea of
"equality" between the subject and the subjective
complement established by the nature of the linking verb. (And of course
that is why it is called a "linking" verb.) The verb to be in
all of its forms (am, are, is, was, and were along with the various
progressive and perfect tense combinations of these) is the most frequently
used linking verb. In sentences or clauses using this verb, and other linking
verbs, you can substitute the idea of "equals" (=) between the
subject and its subjective complement.
Melroy is a poet.
Melroy = a
poet.
2. Direct Object.-
A direct object is a noun or
noun equivalent that is the receiver of the action of a subject-verb combination.
It answers the question who? or what? in relation to the
subject-transitive verb combination. The direct object is always in the objective
case.
Pennystint
hoarded trading stamps.
(Pennystint
hoarded what? Trading stamps.)
3. Indirect Object.-
An indirect object is a noun or noun equivalent that, whenever it is used,
always precedes a direct object and answers the question to or for
whom? or what? in relation to a subject-transitive verb-direct
object combination. It is always in the objective case and helps to complete
verb ideas such as, give, tell, read, pay, etc., where something is done
to or for someone or something else.
Pruneheart
gave them trouble.
(Pruneheart
gave to whom? Them; what? Trouble.)
4. Objective Complement.-
An objective complement is a
noun or noun equivalent or an adjective that completes a direct object. It has
the same relationship to the direct object that the subjective complement has
to the subject. The idea of "to be" can always be inserted between
the direct object and the objective complement. This kind of complement can
occur only after the direct object and is usually found in sentences containing
verbs such as, make, consider, cause, etc., where someone or something causes
someone or something to be something else.
Murgatroid
painted the Mercedes purple.
(Murgatoid caused the Mercedes to be purple.)
Modifier
Tells the time, place or manner of the action. Very often
it's a prepositional phrase. Prepotional phrase is a group of words that begins
with a preposition and ends with a noun.
Note : A modifier of time usually comes last if more than one modifier is
present.
Example of prepositional phrases :
In the morning, at university, on the table
A modifier can also be an adverb or an adverbial phrase :
Last night, hurriedly, next year, outdoors, yesterday
Example
: John bought a book at the bookstore
(modifier place)
Jill was swimming in the pool yesterday
(modifier of place)(modifier of time)
Note
:
The modifier normally follows the complement, but not always. However, the
modifier, especially when it's a prepositional phrase, usually can't separate
the verb and the complement.
Example : She drove the car on the street
(verb) (complement)
Sumber
