Unfortunately for writers who chafe at rules and those attempting to unravel the structure of the sentence, nouns can show up almost anywhere in a sentence. To determine whether a word is acting as a noun, first remember the tried and true wisdom … [Read more...]
Nouns: Predicate Nominative
The predicate nominative is the noun following a linking verb that restates or stands for the subject. Typically, a predicate nominative has the same value or grammatical weight as the subject. [In the following examples, the predicate … [Read more...]
Nouns: Object of the Verbal
Verbals are forms of verbs used as other parts of speech such as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. In some cases a noun will follow the verbal and "receive" it. That noun is called the object of the verbal. As with other objects, it can be … [Read more...]
Nouns: Object of the Preposition
Prepositions are small words that create a relationship between other words in a sentence by linking phrases to the rest of the sentence. The nouns that follow them are objects of the preposition. [In the following examples, the preposition is … [Read more...]
Nouns: Indirect Object
The indirect object is the noun or pronoun that receives the direct object. Typically, an indirect object precedes the direct object and can be found by asking who or what received the direct object. [In the following examples, the indirect … [Read more...]
Nouns: Subject
The subject is the person, place, thing or idea that the sentence is about. Or, in the case of a sentence with more than one clause, it is the person, place, thing or idea that the clause is about. Typically, a subject is followed by a … [Read more...]
Nouns: Direct Object
The direct object is the noun that receives the action of the transitive verb. Typically, a direct object follows the verb and can be found by asking who or what received the action of the verb. [In the following examples, the direct object is … [Read more...]
Verbals: Gerunds
A gerund is the form of a verb, but it is NOT a verb. A gerund is a noun. A gerund ends in "ing." [In the following examples, the gerund is bold and the verb is underlined.] Many local governments and school districts forbid releasing … [Read more...]
Verb Types: Linking
A linking verb implies a state of being or condition for the subject, not an action. It links the subject to an equivalent word in the sentence. [In the following examples, the linking verb is bold and the predicate nominative or predicate adjective … [Read more...]
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Subject verb agreement can be one of the more challenging aspects of writing. While short clauses provide for an easily identifiable subject, longer clauses with extensive phrases can make proper subject verb agreement more of a challenge. The … [Read more...]
