Predicate Phrase: Verb, Object, Complement, and Adjunct (Step-59)

PREDICATE PHRASE (VERB, OBJECT, COMPLEMENT AND ADJUNCT)

Study the following sentence:

(i) Mita laughed.

(ii Madhu caught the ball.

We have already seen that a sentence has two main parts –The subject and the predicate. In each of the above sentences the first word is the subject and the remaining words of the sentences belong to predicate part. Let us give our main focus on the predicate part/ phrase in the chapter.

In the above examples ‘laughed’ is the verb in sentence (i) and caught is the verb in sentence (ii) . So the verb is the most important element in a predicate phrase. But in sentence (ii) above, the verb goes with the noun phrase ‘the ball’ which is the compulsory, item of the sentence. Let us examine the sentence. Madhu caught _________(what ?). This blank space should be filled with a suitable noun/noun phrase. So the noun phrase is an object here and the verb ‘caught’ is a transitive verb in nature. In sentence (i) the verb ‘laughed’ in the predicate phrase is intransitive in nature.

Now we come to know that a predicate can be formed by using the verb alone as in (i) and the verb + other element as in (ii) . This depends on the nature of the verb in the predicate phrase.

Look at the following example:

(iii)

He bought a ball pen at a shope yesterday.

He	bought	a	ball	pen	at	a	shop	yesterday
		Article Adjective Noun
Subject	Verb	Noun Phrase	Prepositional Phrase	Adverb phrase

In the predicate (phrase), the verb may be followed by one or more noun phrase(s) or adverb phrases (s) or a combination of these phrases. This depends on the meaning of the verb in the predicate.

Study in the predicate.

Study the following examples:

(iv) The girl laughed.

(v) The girl looks nice.

(vi) The girl saw a ghost.

(vii) The ghost gave her a gift.

In sentence (iv) above, ‘laughed’ is the verb in the predicate. It is the compulsory item which cannot be left out. We may use other phrases after the verb to add extra information/ meaning to the sentence. In sentence (v), the verb ‘looks’ goes with an adjective phrase ‘nice’ which is also the compulsory element of the predicate phrase. It is the complement in function. Both the sentences cannot be converted to passive voice and the verbs are intransitive verbs.

 Now notice that in sentence (vi), the verb ‘saw’ takes the noun phrase a ghost after it. In sentence (vii) , the verb  gave  takes two noun phrases her and ‘a gift’ after it. Without these noun phrases the sentences will not be grammatical and acceptable. These elements are necessary items for the predicate. They are called the objects and the verbs are known as transitive verbs.

All these transitive verbs are not of the same type. Some of them take only one object as in sentence vi. That is known as the Direct Object and the verb is the mono-transitive verb. Some others take two objects as in sentence vii. The first object is usually known as the Indirect Object and the second the Direct Object and the verb, a di-transitive verb.  We shall now divide basic sentences in English broadly into two categories: Intransitive (predicate phrase) patterns and transitive (predicate phrase) patterns:

Predicate Phrase Pattern:
Intransitive Pattern	Transitive Pattern
a. VG + (Adjunct)	b. Vg+ Complement + (Adjunct)	c. VG + O+ (Adjunct)	d. VG+O+O+(Adjunct)	e. VG+O+ Complement+(Adjunct)

There are many other possibilities but we shall focus on these five basic patterns:

EXERCISE-1

1. Underline the verb in each of the following sentences and say whether it is transitive or intransitive.

1. My brother  sent me a long letter.
2. The teacher asked my friend some intelligent questions.
3. My mother gave the teacher a cup of tea.
4. He went up the hill.
5. She does not smile.
6. The meeting broke off.
7. Stand up on the bench.
8. What did you tell him?
9. The old man is dying.
10. Sincere efforts brought the students, success.

EXERCISE-2

Read the sentences in Exercise-1 and circle the Noun Phrases used in each predicate part. Write their formal names. The first one has been done for you.

1. My brother sent me a long letter

Noun Phrase- Me,    and a long leter.

See the book.

 Intransitive Verb Patterns.

(a) Verb Group + (Adjunct)

The man died (yesterday)

The bracketed word in the sentence is not absolutely necessary. We can put a full stop before it. Without it the sentence becomes grammatical and meaningful. So the adverb yesterday  functions in the sentence as an adjunct.

b)  (i) verb Group + complement + (adjunct)

Mira is  a nurse. Noun Phrase

She is kind. Adjective Phrase

She is in that hospital. Prepositional Phrase

She is there. Adverb Phrase

In these sentences we cannot put a full stop after the verb ‘is’. The words/phrases that follow are a noun phrase, an adjective phrase, a prepositional phrase, or an adverb phrase.  They are absolutely necessary and are called complements in function.

‘Is’ is one form of ‘be’ verb just like ‘am’, ‘are’ , ‘was’ , ‘were’, ‘being’ , ‘been’ and ‘be’. If such a verb becomes the main/full/principal verb of a sentence, it must take a complement after it. All the four phrases i.e. Noun Phrases, Adjective Phrase, adverb Phrase and Prepositional Phrase are possible after the verb be when it functions as a full verb. They are all complements in functions.

(ii) Similarly ,  become, appear, seem or, look  can take either  a noun phrase  or an  adjective phrase  as its  complement.

For Example:

1  He became a teacher/ mad.

2. He appears a fool/ foolish

3. He Seems/ looks a grave man/ grave. (see  the book)

(iii) Verbs like taste, smell, feel etc take an adjective phrase or a prepositional phrase beginning with like/as as their Complement.

The curry tastes salty.

It smells nice.

I feel cold.

(iv) Verbs like ‘have’, ‘cost’, resemble’, ‘fit’, ‘suit’, weight’ etc take noun phrases as their complements. They usually do not take adjective phrases, adverb phrases, or prepositional phrases as complements. In notional point of view these noun phrases function as complements.

He has a car.

A car costs a lot of money.

He resembles his father.

The colour suits him.

The car weighs a ton.

(v) Verbs like ‘behave’ and ‘pride’ take self type pronouns as complements.

He didn’t behave himself at the party.

She prides herself on the appearance.

(vi)  Verbs like ‘lie’ and ‘sneak’ take adverb phrases and prepositional phrases as complements.

The baby lay in the cradle.

The thief sneaked into the house.

 Transitive Verb Patterns

(a) Verb Group + Direct Object + (Adjunct)

I am studying grammar (now).

She was writing a letter (at that time).

(b) Verb Group + Indirect object + Direct object + (Adjunct)

Our teacher is teaching us grammar (now).

Sritam gave the beggar five rupees.

(C.)  Verb Group + Direct object + Complement + (Adjunct)

The drive kept the car in the garage (yesterday)

The peon put the file on the table.

Exercise-3

Separate the subject from the predicate in each of the following sentences.   Underline the subject (group):

• Vyas and Valmiki were great poets.
• The United States is the richest country in the world,
• Home they brought her warrior dead,
• Stand up on the bench,
• Nothing but music gives him pleasure.
• What brings you here?
• What did you tell him?
• The girl in blue frock standing at the bus-stop is my sister,
• None but the brave deserves the fair.
• Smoking cigarettes is injurious to health.
• Who broke the chair?
• Who did you meet at the station yesterday?
• There are forty students in our class.

Exercise-4

Underline the noun phrases in the following sentence. How do they function in the sentences subject, direct object or indirect object?

• Regular disturbances in my studies caused my failure.
• Sincere efforts brought the students, success.
• The teacher asked my friend some intelligent questions.
• My mother gave the teacher a cup of tea.
• Our English teacher taught our class a lesson on Basic Sentence Structure.
• The old lady sold us her house.
• The old lady sold us her house.
• Father bought a beautiful pen.
• Father bought me a beautiful pen.
• The members elected their leader.
• The students selected their monitor.

Exercise-5

Which noun phrases in the following sentences work as objects and which are complements?

• Economics is a difficult subject.
• Romeo and Juliet is a nice play.
• An honorable man never betrays his friends.
• My friend will never tell a lie.
• Hanuman carefully searched the palace.
• She gives her children expensive presents.
• My sister became a teacher.
• Everyone called him Sunny.
• They named the place Shangri-LA.
• Mr Patnaik made him a junior minister.
• The students selected Ravi their monitor.
• We call Gandhiji the father of the Nation.

Exercise-6

There are some adverbs/ adverb phrases in the following sentences. Which of them are complements?

1. We should treat everybody alike.
2. Go straight up to the crossroads.’
3. He rejected my proposals outright.
4. He drives very carefully.
5. The children were playing in the garden.
6. He put the key in the cupboard.
7. He kept the money in his pocket.
8. I began to get in a panic.
9. Malaria can keep a man off work for three days.
10. The dog is at the front gate.
11. He was still in a state of shock.
12. I am from Sambalpur.

Exercise-7

Identify the complements in the following sentences. What categories of words or phrases are they? Are they noun phrases, adjective phrase, adverb phrases, prepositional phrase or clauses?

1. Her general knowledge is amazing.
2. The children seemed frightened .
3. That is a very difficult question.
4. Rajendra Prasad became the first President of India.
5. The soft music made me sleepy.
6. I found the forest quite frightening.
7. The letter box was in the front garden.
8. It was very quiet on the sea shore.
9. Mira seemed to be asleep.
10. He fell asleep at the table.

Exercise-8

Say whether the underlined words/expressions are complements or adjuncts.

(i) Mother is in the kitchen.

(ii) Mother is cooking the meal in the kitchen.

(iii) He became weak  in a few day.

(iv) The man has ten acres of land in our village.

(v) The tiger killed a man in the forest.