XVII. — VERBS OF COMPLETE AND INCOMPLETE

1. The boy walks.

PREDICATION.

2. The rain falls:

In these sentences each of the verbs walks and falls, is of itself the complete predicate of the sentence.

Verbs which may be used as predicates, without the aid of other words, are called verbs of complete predication. 1. The boy is sick. 3. The dog seems cross.

2. The man looks tired.

4. Hungry wolves are voracious.

Here the verbs is, look, seems, and are, require the use of other words in order to form complete predicates.

Verbs which thus require the help of other words to form predicates are called verbs of incomplete predication. The words sick, tired, cross, and voracious are the complements of the verbs with which they are used.

Words used with a verb of incomplete predication to complete the predicate are called the complement of the verb. 1. We are happy. 2. Mary became a scholar.

Here, happy, the complement of the verb are, is an adjective modifying we, the subject; and scholar, the complement of the verb became, is a noun meaning the same as Mary, the subject.

Adjectives like happy, used to complete the predicate, are called predicate adjectives.

Nouns like scholar, used to complete the predicate, are called predicate nouns.

1. The cross dog bit me.

2. The cook cut the bread. 3. The hungry cat caught the mouse.

In these sentences the word me tells whom the dog bit, the word bread tells what the cook cut, and the word mouse tells what the cat caught.

Me, bread, and mouse are the complements of the verbs bit, cut, and caught, as they denote the things that received the actions expressed by the verbs.

Nouns and pronouns used in this way are called the objects of the verbs.

Thus it appears that there are two kinds of verbs of incomplete predication:

1. Those whose complements are predicate adjectives or predicate nouns.

2. Those whose complements are objects of the verb.

1. The dog was in the house.

2. He seems to be well.

3. I think you told the truth.

In these sentences, the phrases in the house and to be well, and the clause you told the truth, are complements of the verbs was, seems, and think.

It thus appears that not only adjectives, nouns, and pronouns, but phrases and clauses, may be the complements of verbs of incomplete predication.

Point out the complements of the verbs in the following sentences, and tell whether they are words, phrases, or clauses: 1. The book was interesting.

2. John was in the country.

3. The cloud seems to be moving.

4. The old blacksmith bought a horse.
5. Did you call me?

6. He wanted to make himself useful.

7. The girl tries to learn.

8. The apple tastes sweet.

9. He explained how the machine was made. 10. Straws show which way the wind blows.

Write two sentences using verbs of complete predication. Write five sentences using verbs of incomplete predication; use a predicate adjective, a predicate noun, an object, a phrase, and a clause, as complements of the verbs.

XVIII. MODIFIERS.

1. The poor horse has a heavy load. 2. The train runs rapidly.

3. Admiral Dewey is a man of courage.

4. The time for play has passed.

5. What is the name of the book which you are reading? 6. While he was still speaking, several persons left the hall. In the above sentences, the words poor and heavy qualify or limit the meaning of the words horse and load; rapidly limits runs; of courage describes man; for play modifies or limits time; which you are reading modifies or limits. book; while he was still speaking modifies or limits left. What kind of modifiers are poor and heavy? What kind of modifier is rapidly?

What kind of modifiers are of courage, and for play? What kind of modifiers are which you are reading, and while he was still speaking?

How do these last two modifiers differ?

We see from what has just been studied that the groups

of words used as modifiers make either phrases or clauses. (See modifier, p. 9.)

Modifiers may be either adjective or adverbial, according to the kind of words modified.

Point out the modifiers in the following sentences, tell what kind of modifiers they are, and the words that they modify:

1. The old trees were covered with rough bark.

2. The flowers which we gathered were a delight to the eye. 3. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

4. We planted the trees where the soil was deep.

5. It is obvious why you did not come.

6. A swift little brook flowed over the pebbles.

7. I bought the book which you recommended.

8. In a clear winter night the stars shine like diamonds.

9. The roar of the lion was heard in the distance.

10. While the robbers were plundering, she set fire to the house.

Write three sentences having adjectives for modifiers both in the subject and predicate, three having adjective phrases, and three having adjective clauses.

Write three sentences having adverbs for modifiers, three having adverbial phrases, and three having adverbial clauses.

Find all the adjective modifiers on some page of your

reader.

Write the words, phrases, and clauses used as adjective modifiers, in separate columns. Do the same work for the adverbial modifiers on the same page.

XIX. SIMPLE AND COMPLETE SUBJECTS.

Many beautiful flowers grow in the woods. In this sentence the word flowers, without the modifying words many and beautiful, is the name of that of which we think; and this word flowers is called the simple subject of the sentence, or the subject of the predicate verb.

The word flowers, together with the words which modify it, is called the complete subject of the sentence.

Flowers is the simple subject of the sentence, and many beautiful flowers is the complete subject.

The simple subject of a sentence, or the subject of the predicate verb, is the noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause, which, without modifiers, is the bare name of that of which we think.

The complete subject of a sentence is the simple subject with all its modifiers.

XX.- SIMPLE AND COMPLETE PREDICATES.

Many beautiful flowers grow in the woods. In this sentence the predicate verb grow, without the modifying phrase in the woods, tells us what flowers do. In the woods completes the thought by telling where the flowers

grow.

Grow is therefore the simple predicate, and grow in the woods the complete predicate.

The simple predicate of a sentence is the predicate verb without modifiers.

The complete predicate of a sentence is the predicate verb with all its modifiers.