1. Direct Objects Predicate Nouns Predicate Adjectives

2. Direct Objects A direct object receives the action of an action verb.

3. Direct Objects It answers the question “What?” or “Whom?”

4. Direct Objects To find the direct object, first identify the action verb of the sentence.

5. The boy hit the ball. In this sentence, what is the action verb?

6. The boy hit the ball. In this sentence, what is the action verb? Action verb: hit

7. The boy hit the ball. Now ask yourself the question, “What or whom did the boy hit?”

8. The boy hit the ball. The boy hit the ball, so ball is the direct object. It receives the action of the verb.

9. PracticeTime

10. In the following sentences, first identify the action verb. Then identify the direct object.

11. Susan answered the phone.

12. Action verb: answered

13. Susan answered the phone. Action verb: answered Direct object: phone

14. What did Susan answer? The phone

15. Yesterday I spoke with John.

16. Action verb: spoke

17. Yesterday I spoke with John. Action verb: spoke Direct object: John

18. With whom did I speak? John

19. Bob walks his dog after school.

20. Action verb: walks

21. Bob walks his dog after school. Action verb: walks Direct object: dog

22. Who does Bob walk? His dog

23. The dog ate the bone.

24. Action verb: ate

25. The dog ate the bone. Action verb: ate Direct object: bone

26. What did the dog eat? The bone

27. The student did her homework.

28. Action verb: did

29. The student did her homework. Action verb: did Direct object: homework

30. What did the student do? Her homework

31. Predicate Nouns A predicate noun names the subject. It follows a linking verb.

32. Predicate Nouns It answers the question “What?” or “How?”

33. I am a teacher.

34. The linking verb is am. Now ask yourself, “What am I?”

35. I am a teacher. I am a teacher, so teacher is the predicate noun.

36. Predicate Adjectives A predicate adjective describes the subject. It also follows a linking verb.

37. Predicate Adjectives It also answers the question “What?” or “How?”

38. I am hungry.

39. The linking verb is am. Now ask yourself, “What am I?”

40. I am hungry. I am hungry, so hungry is the predicate adjective.

41. PracticeTime

42. In each of the following sentences, the linking verb is underlined. Identify the predicate noun or predicate adjective.

43. Sarah was happy yesterday morning.

44. What was she?

45. Sarah was happy yesterday morning. What was she? happy

46. Sarah was happy yesterday morning. What was she? happy Predicate adjective

47. Bill and Sally are engineers.

48. What are they?

49. Bill and Sally are engineers. What are they? engineers

50. Bill and Sally are engineers. What are they? engineers Predicate noun

51. They were absent from school.

52. What were they?

53. They were absent from school. What were they? absent

54. They were absent from school. What were they? absent Predicate adjective

55. The rose smells fresh.

56. How does it smell?

57. The rose smells fresh. How does it smell? fresh

58. The rose smells fresh. How does it smell? fresh Predicate adjective

59. She is an actress.

60. What is she?

61. She is an actress. What is she? An actress

62. She is an actress. What is she? An actress Predicate noun

63. Title image courtesy of Microsoft Office Online.