Parts of Sentence: Parts of Predicate—English Grammar

Parts of Sentence: Parts of Predicate—English Grammar

Sentence: Predicate

Table.1:

Verb is the most important word in the Predicate. Look at the following sentence:

Subject	Predicate
1. They  2. He  3. She  4.The boy	played cricket.                   sang a song.                   forgot me.                   laughed at me.

Explanation:

The words given in Italic are verbs.

The Parts of Predicate:

The Object:

When the verb in the Predicate is a Transitive verb, it requires an Object to complete its sense. The Object receives the action. It is a Noun or Pronoun. It tells us the person or thing to whom the action of the verb is done. In Table No.1 cricket, sweet song, and me are Objects. 

Kinds of Object: 

1. Indirect Object: 

The Objective cases of Personal Pronouns are called Indirect Objects. Such as: him, her, them, us, me and you. All these are Living Objects.

Note: The names of persons (Proper Noun) as Ram, Shyam, Mohan, Gita and (Common Noun) as boy girl, man, and woman and the identification of the persons as principal, prime minister, teacher, etc. are also introduced in Indirect Object. 

2. Direct Object:

All the Lifeless Things are introduced in Direct Object. Such as: pen pencil, table, book bat, etc. 

Note: At first (i.e. after Transitive Verb) Indirect Object is put and after this Direct Object comes. Sometimes Transitive Verbs take two objects after them. 

3. Gerund and Infinitive as Object: 

Sometimes Nouns and Pronouns are not used as the Objects of Verb, but Gerund and Infinitive are used.

 Examples: 

1. He likes playing cricket.                                  (Gerundial Object)
2. I hate smoking.                                                 (Gerundial Object)
3. He likes to play.                                               (Infinitive Object)
4. You refused to work.                                      (Infinitive Object)

Table.2.

(Based on Objects)

Subject	Predicate
	Verb	Indirect         Object	Direct Object
1. He	gave	Rama	a book.
2. Rama	told	his brother	a story.
3. The teacher	asked	me	a question.
4. She	gave	her teacher	a pen.
5.The team manager	gave	captain	a wicket.

Table.3

(Based on Objects)

Subject	Predicate
	Verb	Gerundial Object
It	continued	raining.
I	gave up	smoking.
He	hates	spending money.

Table.4:

(Based on Objects)

Subject	Predicate
	Verb	Infinitive
He	wants	to go.
She	used	to read.
He	was made	to work
He	seems	to be afraid.
I	warned	to avoid.

The Complement: 

Complement means to complete the sense of the sentence. Complement is used with some verbs. It is often used with Linking Verbs such as: is, am, are, was, were. 

Examples: 

1. She is a girl.

2. You are a teacher.

3. Ram is weak.

4. He is poor. 

5. My pencil is in the pocket.

6. You were in the class.

Explanation:

Complement may be Noun, Adjective, Adverb or Adverbial Phrase. In the above examples a girl and a teacher are Nouns in the form of Complement. Weak and poor are Adjectives and in the pocket and in the class are Adverb or Adverbial Phrase. 

The Way of Using Complement:

Complement is used in two ways: 

1. Subjective 2. Objective 

1. Subjective:

The Complement which refers to the Subject, called Subjective Complement.

Examples: 

1. The dog went mad.

2. My father is ill.

3. She is a doctor.

Explanation:

The words mad, ill and a doctor complete the sense of the sentences 1, 2 and 3. They refer to the Subject, hence they are Subjective Complements.

2. Objective Complements:

Certain Transitive Verbs take some word or words in addition to the object to make the meaning clear. Look at the following sentences:

1. They elected him the President.
2. We made her our leader.
3. The class teacher made her the monitor.
4. They appointed him the manager of the team.

Explanation:

In the sentences 1, 2, 3 and 4, the words President, our leader, the monitor and the manager are required to complete the sense. They refer to the Object him, her, her and him respectively, hence they are called Objective Complement.

Table.1 (Complement (Noun) used with linking Verb)

Subject	Predicate
	Verb (to be)	Complement (Noun)
I	am	a teacher.
You	are	a boy.
My brother	is	a clerk.
She	is	a student.

Table.2 (Complement (Adjective) used with Linking Verb)

Subject	Predicate
	Verb (to be)	Complement (Adj.)
Rama	is	weak.
Hari	was	fat.
You	are	honest.
He	is	rich.
The boy	is	naughty.

Table.3 (Complement (Adverb or Adverbial Phrase) used with Linking Verb)

Subject	Predicate
	Verb (to be)	Complement(Adverb or  Adverbial Phrase)
Mohan	is	here.
She	was	there
Madan	was	in the playground.
His money	was	in the pocket.
Ram	was	under the tree.

Note: All these Complements given in the tables 1, 2 and 3 are called Subjective Complements.

Table.4 (Based on objective complement (Noun/Noun Phrase)

Subject	Predicate
	T. Verb	Object	Complement (Noun/Noun Phrase)
My father	named	me	Mohan.
The teacher	appointed	him	the secretary.
The people	elected	you	the President.
She	called	her brother	a liar.
We	thought	Hari	a rascal.

Table.5 (Based on Objective Complement (Adjective, Adjective Phrase or Past Participle)

SUBJECT	Predicate
	Verb	Object	Complement(Adj., Adj. Phrase, Past Participle)
We	thought	it	necessary.
Your reply	made	The teacher	angry.
The judge	found	him	guilty.
The news	made	me	worried.
Rama	considers	Mohan	very rich.