ANALYSIS OF SIMPLE SENTENCES

6. When the Verb in the Predicate is an Intransitive Verb, it alone can form the Predicate;

as,

1. Dogs / bark.

2. Black clouds / are gathering.

3. The boys / have been reading.

Note:- In sentence 1, the Verb consists of only one word. Often the Verb itself consists of

a group of two or more words, as in 2 and 3.

7. Sometimes the Verb in the Predicate is an Intransitive Verb of Incomplete Predication,

that is, an Intransitive Verb which requires Noun, or an Adjective, or a Pronoun, etc,

added to it to make the Predicate complete ; as,

The baby seems/happy.

If I simply say 'The baby seems' I do not make complete sense., The Intransitive Verb

seems requires some word or words to make trtf | Predicate complete.

What is thus required to complete the Predicate is called a Complement.

The Complement of an Intransitive Verb serves to describe the Subject, and is therefore

called a Subjective Complement.

Now examine the Predicates in the following sentences:-

1. The sky grew dark.

2. Venus is a planet.

3. It is me.

4. The man seems worried.

5. Your book is there.

6. The house is to let.

7. The building is in a dilapidated condition.

No. -- SUBJECT (Subject-word -- Attribute) -- PREDICATE (Verb -- Complement)

1. sky -- The -- grew -- dark

2. Venus -- -- is -- a planet

3. It -- -- is me

4. man -- The -- seems -- worried

5. book -- Your -- is -- there

6. house -- The -- is -- to let

7. building -- The -- is -- in a dilapidated

It will be noticed that:-

in 1, the Complement is an Adjective ;

in 2, the Complement is a Noun ;

in 3, the Complement is a Pronoun ;

in 4, the Complement is a Participle ;

in 5, the Complement is an Adverb ;

in 6, the Complement is an Infinitive ;

in 7, the Complement is a group of words doing the work of an Adjective.

Note:- When the Predicate is completed by an Adjective, such an Adjective is said to be

used Predicatively or to be a Predicative Adjective.

When the Predicate is completed by a Noun, the Noun is said to be a Predicative Noun.

Exercise 4.

Pick out the Complement in each of the following sentences, and say whether it is a

Noun, an Adjective, a Pronoun, etc.:-

1. John became a soldier.

2. Roses smell sweet.

3. The child appears pleased.

4. The workman seems tired.

5. The earth is round.

6. He looks happy.

7. Sugar tastes sweet.

8. The old woman is dead.

9. The weather was cold.

10. He became unconscious.

11. The old gentleman is of a gentle disposition.

12. The child is there.

13. The children look healthy.

14. To-day she seems sad.

15. The cup is full to the brim.

16. His grammar is shocking.

17. He is a good type of the modern athlete.

18. Ugly rumours are about.

19. Gentle Evangeline was the pride of the village.

20. This morning he seemed in good spirits.

21. Giving to the poor is lending to the Lord.

22. The matter appears of considerable importance.

23. Every man is the architect of his own fortune.

8. Sometimes the Verb in the Predicate is a Transitive Verb, that is, a Verb which

requires an Object to complete its sense.

For example, if I say 'Cats catch' I do not make complete sense. You want to know what

the cats catch. The verb catch requires an Object, such as mice to form a complete

Predicate.

Now examine the Predicates in the following sentences:-

1. Birds build nests.

2. I know him.

3. All good children pity the poor.

4. The Gurk has love fighting.

5. The foolish crow tried to sing.

6. Our soldiers tried to scale the cliff.

No. -- SUBJECT (Subject-word -- Attribute) -- PREDICATE (Verb --Object)

1. Birds -- -- build -- nests

2. I -- -- know -- him

3. Children -- (1) All (2) good -- pity -- the poor

4. Grukhas -- The -- love -- fighting

4. crow -- (1) The (2) Foolish -- tired -- to sing

5. soldiers -- Our -- tired -- to scale the cliff.

It will be noticed that:-

in 1, the Object is a Noun ;

in 2, the Object is a Pronoun ;

in 3, the Object is an Adjective used as a Noun ;

in 4, the Object is a Gerund or Verbal Noun ;

in 5, the Object is an Infinitive ;

in 6, the Object is a group of words doing the work of a Noun.

9. The Object-word may have Attributes, just like the Subject-word; as,

He shot a big panther.

SUBJECT -- PREDICATE (Verb -- Object -- Attribute)

He -- shot -- panther -- (1) a (2) big

Exercise 5.

In the following sentences point out the complete Object; then separate the Object-word

from its attributes (if any):-

1. The world knows nothing of its greatest men.

2. We should learn to govern ourselves.

3. Her arms across her breast she laid.

4. The architect drew a plan for the house.

5. Serpents cast their skin once a year.

6. God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.

7. By their fruits ye shall know them.

8. Rock the baby to sleep.

9. He enjoys his master's confidence.

10. I recognized your voice at once.

11. Cut your coat according to your cloth.

12. The Eskimos make houses of snow and ice.

13. I had no answer to my letter.

14. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.

15. Fear no more the heat of the sun.

16. Evil communications corrupt good manners.

10. Sometimes the Verb in the Predicate is a Transitive Verb that takes mw Objects - a

Direct Object and an Indirect Object.

If I say 'Rama gave a penknife1, the noun penknife is the Object of the verb gave.

I may, however, by way of further information, say to whom Rama gave a penknife.

Rama gave me a penknife.

The word me is called the Indirect Object of the Verb gave to distinguish it from the

Object penknife, which is the Direct Object.

Now examine the Predicate in the following sentences:-

I promised him a present.

He teaches us Geometry.

Father bought Mini a doll.

SUBJECT -- PREDICATE (Verb -- Indirect Object -- Direct Object)

I -- promised -- him -- a person

He -- teaches -- us – Geometry

Father -- bought -- Mini -- a doll

11. Some Transitive Verbs require a Complement in addition to the Object; as,

The boys made Rama captain.

Here the Noun Rama is the object of the Transitive Verb made which here requires a

word (e.g., captain) to make the sense complete.

If I say 'The boys made a snow-ball' the sense is complete. But it would be nonsense to

say 'The boys made Rama.' The boys did not make Rama: they made Rama captain. The

verb made is here a Transitive Verb of Incomplete Predication, because in the sense in

which the verb made is here used, it cannot form a complete predicate unless it has a

Complement besides an Object.

The Complement (captain) here refers to the Object Rama. It is therefore called an

Objective Complement.

Now examine the Predicates in the following sentences:-

1. The jury found him guilty.

2. His parents named him Hari.

3. He kept us waiting.

4. Nothing will make him repent.

5. His words filled them with terror.

No. -- SUBJECT (Subject-word -- Attribute) -- PREDICATE (Verb --Object Complement)

1. jury -- The -- found -- him -- guilty

2. parents -- His -- named -- him -- Hari

3. He -- -- kept -- us -- waiting

4. Nothing -- -- will make -- repent

5. words -- filled -- them -- with terror

Exercise 6.

In the following sentences separate the Predicate from the Subject and then point out the

different parts of the Predicate.

1. Abdul called his cousin a fool.

2. Exercise has made his muscles strong.

3. This will make you happy,

4. The Nawab appointed his own brother Vizier.

5. The Court appointed him guardian of the orphan child.

6. Time makes the worst enemies friends.

7. Sickness made the child irritable,

8. They elected him secretary of the club.

9. Do you take me for a fool?

10. We saw the storm approaching.

11. I consider the man trustworthy.

12. They kept us in suspense.

13. The jury found him guilty of murder.

14. A thunderstorm often turns milk sour.

12. Let us now review the different forms of the Predicate.

(1) When the verb is Intransitive, the Predicate may consist of the verb alone (§ 6).

(2) When the verb is an Intransitive Verb of Incomplete Predication, the Predicate may

consist of the Verb and its Complement (§ 7).

(3) When the verb is a Transitive Verb, the Predicate may consist of the Verb and its

Object (§ 8).

(4) When the verb is a Transitive Verb having two objects, the predicate may consist of

the Verb and its two Objects:-

Indirect and Direct, (10)

(5) When the verb is a Transitive Verb of Incomplete Predication, the Predicate may

consist of the Verb, its Object and a Complement. (§ 11).

13. Carefully study the analysis of the following sentences: The table is printed on

pagel78.

1. Abdul, quite pale with fright, rushed into the room.

2. Determination to do one's duty is laudable,

3. Around the fire, one wintry night,

The farmer's rosy children sat.

4. Home they brought the warrior dead.

5. His friends elected him secretary of the club.

6. This circumstance certainly makes the matter very serious.

7. My uncle has been teaching me mathematics.

8. Jaffar, the Barmecide, the good Vizier,

The poor man's hope, the friend without a peer.

Jaffar was dead, slain by a doom unjust.

9. Who are you ?

Exercise 7.

Analyse the following sentences:-

1. A nod from a lord is breakfast for a fool.

2. A good paymaster never wants workmen.

3. Home they brought her warrior dead.

4. Sickness made the child irritable.

5. Gentle Evangeline was the pride of the village.

6. It is easy to find fault,

7. It is a miserable thing to live in suspense.

8. Wounds made by words are hard to heal.

9. Down went the Royal George.

10. Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.

11. Time makes the worst enemies friends.

12. Great is your reward in Heaven.

13. In him India lost a true patriot.

14. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

15. It is easy to be wise after the event.

16. A man he was to all the country dear.

17. Experience has taught us many lessons. .

18. A man's first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart.

19. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

20. He showed a constant solicitude for his son's welfare.

21. Caesar, having conquered his enemies, returned to Rome.

22. To drive a car requires care and skill.

23. A great fortune in the hands of a fool is a great misfortune.

24. The postman looked very tired at the end of the day.

Note:- In 6, “It” is a provisional subject; the real subject is “to find fault”. “It” should be

entered in the subject-column in brackets.

“It” is provisional subject in 7 and 15 also.