Remember: The subject of a sentence is the person, place,
thing, or idea (now we know these as nouns) that is doing or being
something. You can find the subject of a sentence if you can find the verb.
Ask the question,
"Who or what 'verbs' or 'verbed'?"
The answer to that question
is the subject.
A subject is always going
to be a NOUN or a PRONOUN or a group of words that
function as a noun.
A complete sentence must always
have a SUBJECT and a VERB.
Verbs: Verbs carry the idea of being or action in the sentence.
THE PREDICATE IS THE VERB PART OF THE
SENTENCE OR THE VERB FAMILY!! NEVER, EVER SEND THE SUBJECT TO LIVE WITH THE
PREDICATE! THE COMPLETE PREDICATE IS ALL OF THE SENTENCE PART THAT DEALS
WITH THE VERB. THE SIMPLE PREDICATE
IS THE VERB ONLY!
Example: Mrs. Minahan’s
class hoisted the flag during recess! The COMPLETE PREDICATE is
underlined. The SIMPLE PREDICATE is
hoisted. Do you know the subject of this sentence?
Taken apart, this sentence would look
like this: Mrs. Minahan’s
class (complete
subject) hoisted the flag during recess.(complete predicate) In a diagram it would like this: class l hoisted
(the
middle line should go all the way through, but I can’t make the computer do
that!!)
Action: Action verbs are the common,
easy verbs! They show Action!
Linking
verbs: Linking verbs are verbs that “link” or connect the subject of
the sentence to a word in the predicate (complement).
That word in the predicate will either
describe the subject (predicate adjective) or rename the subject (predicate
nominative).
Example: Betina
is a girl. Is is the
linking verb and it links girl in the
predicate to Betina, the subject. Is is a BE VERB.
In this sentence, girl is renaming Betina, so girl is a
predicate nominative.
Example: Betina
is funny. Is is
being used as a
linking verb here too, and it links Betina
to funny.
In this sentence, Funny does not rename Betina, it describes Betina (the
subject)
It is called a predicate adjective; “funny Betina”
Linking
verbs are often forms of the verb to be.
The
BE VERBS: AM, IS, ARE, WAS, WERE, BE,
BEING, BEEN These show state of being or are used
as linking verbs.
Sometimes linking verbs are related to
the five senses (look, sound, smell, feel, taste)
Sometimes linking verbs reflect
another state of being without using a “BE
VERB” (appear, seem, become,
grow, turn, prove, remain)
Sometimes linking verbs reflect a
“change in state of being.” They too are followed by an adjective.
·
His face turned purple. (purple face)
·
She became older. (older she)
·
The dogs ran wild. (wild dogs)
·
The milk is sour. (sour milk)
·
The crowd grew ugly. (ugly crowd)
The above sentences reflect a change in state of being.
The following is a list of
some of the common linking verbs and a listing of the BE verbs.
BE VERBS: AM, IS, ARE, WAS, WERE, BE, BEING, BEEN
LINKING: look, sound, smell, feel, taste, appear, seem, become, grow, turn, prove, and remain
HELPING VERBS SIMPLY HELP ADD MEANING TO THE SENTENCE:
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT HELPING VERBS:
They always come BEFORE the main verb (the main verb is what is
happening)
SOMETIMES THERE WILL BE AN ADVERB BETWEEN THE HELPING VERB AND
THE MAIN VERB.
FOR EXAMPLE: “The girls will not be working today.” (the helping verb is will, the adverb between is not, and the
main verb is working)
We have learned a song to help us remember the helping verbs! It
is sung to the tune of “Yankee Doodle”
have has ha-ad do
does di-d shall will shou-ld
wou-ld, may might must can could am is are was were
be being be-en.
(chorus) have has ha-d do does did, shall
will shou-ld wou-ld, may
might must can could am is are was were be being be-en!