II. Modifiers of the Predicate.
352. Since the predicate is always a verb, the word modifying it must be an adverb or its equivalent:—
(1) Adverb: "Slowly and sadly we laid him down."
(2) Prepositional phrase: "The little carriage is creeping on at one mile an hour;" "In the twinkling of an eye, our horses had carried us to the termination of the umbrageous isle."
In such a sentence as, "He died like a God," the word group like a God is often taken as a phrase; but it is really a contracted clause, the verb being omitted.
Tells how.
(3) Participial phrase: "She comes down from heaven to his help, interpreting for him the most difficult truths, and leading him from star to star."
(4) Infinitive phrase: "No imprudent, no sociable angel, ever dropped an early syllable to answer his longing."
(For participial and infinitive phrases, see further Secs. 357-363.)
(5) Indirect object: "I gave every man a trumpet;" "Give them not only noble teachings, but noble teachers."
These are equivalent to the phrases to every man and to them, and modify the predicate in the same way.
Retained with passive; or
When the verb is changed from active to passive, the indirect object is retained, as in these sentences: "It is left you to find out the reason why;" "All such knowledge should be given her."
subject of passive verb and direct object retained.
Or sometimes the indirect object of the active voice becomes the subject of the passive, and the direct object is retained: for example, "She is to be taught to extend the limits of her sympathy;" "I was shown an immense sarcophagus."
(6) Adverbial objective. These answer the question when, or how long, how far, etc., and are consequently equivalent to adverbs in modifying a predicate: "We were now running thirteen miles an hour;" "One way lies hope;" "Four hours before midnight we approached a mighty minster."