Exercise 4

In the following sentences underscore the complete subject and the complete predicate. Notice especially the direct and the indirect objects of the incomplete verbs. The simple subjects and the direct objects are in italics.

  1. A great many miles separate us from our friends.
  2. The merry shouts of the children fill the air with music.
  3. A gentle breeze brings us the perfume of the flowers.
  4. A careless druggist gave the unfortunate man the wrong medicine.
  5. His admiring friends gave him a beautiful ring.
  6. Soldiers obey orders from their superiors.
  7. This terrible war claims thousands of victims.
  8. The power of hunger drives the unemployed to rebellion.
  9. The workers of the world produce enough for all.
  10. The retiring secretary showed us a letter from the president.
  11. The old sea captain told them an interesting story of life at sea.
  12. Labor produces all wealth.

COPULATIVE VERBS

411. We have another class of incomplete verbs which require a complement to complete their meaning. These are the copulative verbs. The number of copulative verbs is small. They are: all forms of the verb be; also, like, appear, look, feel, sound, smell, become, seem, etc. These verbs require a noun or an adjective or a phrase as a complement, to complete their meaning. They are really connective words serving to connect the noun or adjective or phrase used in the predicate with the noun which they modify. The noun or adjective or phrase used to complete the meaning of the copulative verb is called a predicate complement. For example:

Here we have a noun, hero, used as a predicate complement after the copulative verb, is, to describe the noun man.

In this sentence, we have an adjective, class-conscious, in the predicate to modify the subject, man. It is connected with the subject by the copulative verb is.