Basic Parts of a Sentence: Subject, Predicate, and Completers

1. Sentence structure BASIC PARTS OF A SENTENCE: SUBJECT: The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. You can find the subject of a sentence if you can find the verb. Ask the question, "Who or what 'verbs' or 'verbed'?" and the answer to that question is the subject. A. A simple subject is the subject of a sentence (stripped of modifiers) and may be a word or group of words (noun/pronoun). B. A compound subject consists of two (or more) simple subjects connected. C. A complete subject consists of the simple subject and all of the words that describe the subject (its modifiers –adjectives/prep phrases/appositives). PREDICATE: A predicate is the completer of a sentence. The subject names the "do-er" or "be-er" of the sentence; the predicate does the rest of the work. A. A simple predicate consists of only a verb, verb string, or compound verb; the simple predicate is quite simply the action verb or linking verb. B. A compound predicate consists of two (or more) simple predicates connected. C. A complete predicate consists of the verb and all accompanying modifiers (adverbs/prep phrases/”stuff”) and other words that receive the action of a transitive verb or complete its meaning.

2. Sentence structure LINKING VERB “COMPLETERS” A predicate adjectivefollows/completes the predicate (a linking verb) and tells us something about the subject by modifying/describing. Ex. I am tall. A predicate nominativefollows/completes the predicate (a linking verb) and tells us what the subject is by naming it. Ex. I am a boy.

3. Sentence structure AVt- (TRANSITIVE VERB) A verb that can take a direct object is called transitive, as the action of the verb moves--it reaches across (trans) from the actor to the thing acted on. It is transferred action. Vt’s require an object for meaning. AVi- (INTRANSITIVE VERB) do not and cannot take an object; they are complete themselves. *most verbs are just V’s and are simply both ACTION VERB “COMPLETERS” A direct object is the receiver of action within a sentence. Ex. He hit the ball. I gave a donation. The indirect object identifies to or for whom or what the action of the verb is performed. The direct object and indirect object are different people or places or things. In the following examples the direct object is in bold and indirect italicized. Ex. The instructor gave his studentsA's. -A’s are what he gave; the students is to whom he gave Ex. Grandfather left Rosa and Roball his money. -All his money is what he left; Rosa and Rob is to whom he left

4. Sentence structure While technically not a sentence “COMPLETER”… The OBJECT of the PREPOSITION completes a prepositional phrase. Recall the definition… a prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun object that shows relationship to another word in the sentence. While that definition may feel wordy, you understand that the following is incomplete: I gave the gift for. The word “for” is dangling and needs completed in order the prepositional phrase to create meaning. I gave the gift for his birthday. The word “birthday” functions as and is referred to as the object of the preposition (OP).