The elements of a sentence Flashcards
The names of the parts of speech when used in a sentence
The names of the parts of speech when used in a sentence are: subject, predicate, object, complement, and modifier.
subject
(The subject of a …)
(If you put W…)
(The … is a n…)
(The … is the part wh…)
The subject of a sentence or clause is who or what the sentence is about; it is the word or group of words that a clause or sentence makes a statement about.
If you put Who? or What? in front of a verb, your answer is the subject.
The subject is a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that normally comes before the verb in an ordinary sentence.
The subject is the part which agrees grammatically with the verb.
simple subject
A subject that does not include any modifiers.
complete subject
A complete subject is the simple subject plus any words that modify it.
compound subject
A compound subject is two or more simple subjects.
predicate (*3)
(consists of)
(is the part)
(always contains)
The predicate of a sentence consists of everything but the subject.
The predicate is the part of a sentence that makes a statement or asks a question about the subject; it explains or describes what the subject is doing.
It always contains a *finite verb and may also contain other elements (modifiers, objects, complements).
simple predicate
(A simple predicate is …)
(It doesn’t give …)
(To iden…)
A simple predicate is a verb or verb phrase—and that’s all. It is the main verb (with its helping verbs).
It doesn’t give any more information about the verb or verb phrase, which is why the predicate is considered “simple.”
To identify a simple predicate in a sentence, ask yourself what the subject does or is, but remember to focus only on the verb or verb phrase itself.
complete predicate
The complete predicate is the main verb plus any modifiers and complements attached to it. A complete predicate includes verbs, objects, modifiers, and complements.
compound predicate
A compound predicate is two or more predicates with the same subject.
modifier (*3)
(A modifier is a w…)
(A modifier provides mo…)
(Modifiers may be desc…)
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause which limits or qualifies the meaning of another word, phrase, or clause. For example, in ‘school trip’, ‘school’ modifies ‘trip’.
A modifier provides more information about other words and describes the things or people that they stand for more specifically.
Modifiers may be described more specifically as premodifiers or postmodifiers, depending on whether they come before or after the modified word, phrase, or clause.
object
(What it is)
(Normally comes after)
(Types)
(Forms complement of)
The object of a sentence is a noun, noun phrase, pronoun, or clause which refers to a person or thing that receives or is affected by the action of the verb; it is the person or thing affected by the verb.
The object normally comes after the verb in an active clause.
There are two possible types of object in a sentence: a direct object and an indirect object. Sometimes a clause can have both.
An object forms the complement of a transitive verb.
direct object
(… most oft…)
(… usually comes af…)
The direct object most often refers to the person or thing (or people or things) directly affected by the action of the main verb. In the sentence “Take the dog for a walk”, ‘the dog’ is the direct object.
The direct object usually comes after the verb, and answers the question What? or Whom? after the verb. For example: “I hit the wall”, ‘wall’ being the direct object.
indirect object tells …
(Usually comes af…)
The indirect object tells us about the person or thing that benefits in some way from the action described by the main verb. It usually refers to the person (or people) who receive(s) the direct object.
The indirect object usually comes after the verb and before the direct object.
In the sentence “Anna gave me a watch”, the indirect object is ‘me’, and the direct object is ‘a watch.’
complement
(What it is)
(Tells us)
(Clauses can have)
A complement is a word, phrase, or clause that completes the meaning of another word. For example, in “She is fond of chocolate”, the phrase ‘of chocolate’ is the complement of ‘fond’.
The complement tells us more about the element of the sentence that it relates to.
Clauses can have a subject complement or an object complement.
subject complement
(Linked, follows, eg [dentist])
A subject complement is linked to the subject by a verb and completes the subject by providing more information about it.
A subject complement usually follows the verb and may be a noun, adjective, or phrase which describes or refers to the subject of the clause. For example, in “Jane is a dentist”, ‘a dentist’ is the complement (describing the subject Jane).
