SUBJECT,VERB, COMPLEMENT AND MODIFIER

Definition: The subject of a sentence is the noun, pronoun or noun phrase that precedes and governs the main verb. The subject is the part of the sentence that performs an action or which is associated with the action.

example:

* He is a really nice guy.

* "He" is the subject of the sentence, controlling the verb and the complement.

* My dog attacked the burglar.

* "My dog" is the subject, controlling the verb and the rest of the sentence.

* David plays the piano

* The subject "David" performs the action of "playing the piano".

* The police interviewed all the witnesses.

* The subject the police performs the action of interviewing all the witnesses.

VERBS

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.

example:

* Paul rides a bicycle.

* Here, the verb rides certainly denotes an action which Paul performs - the action of riding a bicycle.
* We buy some books to learn English verbs.

* In this example, the action word is "to buy". It tells us that the subject "we", that is the person who performs the action of the verb is "buying some books".

The verb tense shows the time of the action or state. Aspect shows whether the action or state is completed or not. Voice is used to show relationships between the action and the people affected by it. Mood shows the attitude of the speaker about the verb, whether it is a declaration or an order. Verbs can be affected by person and number to show agreement with the subject.

 

 

The Grammatical Subject Complement in English

Although nouns and adjectives most frequently function as the subject complement of sentences, five grammatical forms can perform the grammatical function of subject complement in the English language. Both native speakers and ESL students must learn and understand the five forms that can function as the subject complement in order to speak and write English fully and correctly. The five grammatical forms that can function as the subject complement are:

1. Noun phrases

2. Adjective phrases

3. Prepositional phrases

4. Verb phrases

5. Noun clauses

Subject complements are defined as words, phrases, and clauses that follow a copular or linking verb and refer back to modify or describe the subject. Subject complements are grammatical constituents embedded in the predicate of clauses.

 

 

 

Noun Phrases as Subject Complements

The first grammatical form that can perform the grammatical function of subject complement is the noun phrase. Noun phrases are defined as phrases that consist of a noun or pronoun plus any modifiers or complements. For example, the following italicized noun phrases function as subject complements:

* My favorite subject is grammar.

* The professor is an exceptionally intelligent person.

* My sister became a mother last night.