1. Chapter 2
Grammar

2. Complements: a word or word group that completes the meaning of a verb
Examples:
Aunt Sophie watched us fishing.
The book is an autobiography
Do not mistake an adverb for a complement
Rob felt confident
Lucy works hard
Joey hit a home run
A complement will never be in a prepositional phrase
Sandra Cisneros writes poetry and fiction
Christopher quoted from the poem
Tino wants a new tennis racket

3. Finding complements Find your subject and verb in the sentence
Then put your subject and verb together and ask “What” after.
Your answer will be the complement
Example: She threw the ball
She=subject, threw=verb
She threw what?
Ball=complement
The speaker looked very enthusiastic.
The Girl Scout built a fire.

4. Predicate Nominative: a word or word group that is in the predicate and that identifies the subject or refers to it. Follows a linking verb and always a noun.
Use the same “what” method to find your predicate nominative
Some caterpillars become butterflies.
The winners should have been they.
She is the new speaker.
Our cats’ names are Bianca and Henry.
What a fine speaker you are!

5. Predicate Adjective: an adjective that is in the predicate and that modifies the subject of a sentence. Follows a linking verb and is an adjective.
You look happy.
When she left, Norma appeared calm.
He said that the yogurt tasted delicious.
How silly that commercial is.

6. Direct Objects and Indirect objects: follow action verbs
Direct object: a noun, pronoun, or word group that tells who or what receives the action of the verb.
Indirect object: a noun, pronoun, or word group that appears in sentences containing a direct object. An indirect object tells to whom or to what the action of the verb is done to.
Examples:
Meli read us her poem
Juan left you this message.
Carly knitted her pet a blanket.

7. Finding Direct and indirect Objects
Find the subject and verb
Examples
Then ask “What” after the subject and verb
I kicked him the ball
Subject= I, Verb= kicked
This answer will be the direct object
I kicked what?
Ball=direct object
If there is an indirect object, Ask “To whom” before the subject and verb.
To whom did I kick it?
Him= Indirect object
Jeff wrote me a note.
Our ski instructor game Lucia and me great tips.