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Subject verb comlement modifier
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John and I ate
a pizza last
night
We studied “present perfect” last
week
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Subject
The subject is the agent of the sentence in the active
voice; it is the person or thing that performs or is responsible for the action
of the sentence, and it normally precedes the verb. Note: Every sentence in
English must have a subject. (in the case of commands, the subject [you] is
understood.) The subject may be a single noun.
Coffe is delicious
Milk contains calcium.
The subject may be a noun phrase. A noun phrase is a group of
words ending with a noun. (It CANNOT begin with a preposition.)
The book is on the table.
That new red car is John’s.
Examples of subjects:
We girls are not going to that movie.
George likes boats.
Mary, John, George, and I went to a restaurant last night.
The weather was very bad yesterday.
The chemistry professor canceled class today.
The bank closed at two o’clock.
It can act as a pronoun for a noun or can be the subject of
an impersonal verb. As the subject of an impersonal verb, the pronoun is not
actually used in place of a noun, but is part of an idiomatic expression.
It rains quite often here in the summer.
It is hard to believe that he is dead.
In some sentenes, the true subject does not appear in normal
subject position. There can act as a pseudo-subject and is treated like a subject
when changing word order to a question. However, the true subject appears after
the verb, and the number of the true subject controls the verb.
There was a fire in that building last mounth.
verb (singular) subject (singular)
Was there a fire in that building last mounth?
verb subject
There were many students in the room.
verb (plural) Subject (plural)
Were there many students in the room?
verb subject
Verb
The verb follows the subject in a declarative sentence; it
generally shows the action of the sentence. NOTE: Every sentence must have a
verb. The verb may be a single word.
John drives too fast.
They hate spinach.
The verb may be a verb phrase. A verb phrase consists of one
or more auxiliaries and one main verb. The auxiliaries always precede the main
verb.
John is going to Miami tomorrow.
(auxiliary – is; main verb – going)
Jane has been reading that book.
(auxiliaries – has, been; main verb – reading)
Examples of verbs and verb phrases:
She will go to Boston next week.
Jane is very tall.
She must have gone to the bank.
Joe has gone home.
Mary is watching television.
It was raining at six o’clock last night.
Complement
A complement completes the verb. It is similiar to the
subject because it is usually a noun phrase; however. It generally follows the
verb when the sentence is in the active voice. NOTE: Every sentence does not
require a comlement. The complement CANNOT begin with a preposition. A complement
answers the question what? Or whom?
Examples of complements:
John bought a cake yesterday. (what did John buy?)
Jill was driving a new car. (what
was Jill driving?)
He wants to drink some water. (what does he want to drink?)
She saw John at the movies last night. (whom did she see at the movies?)
They called Mary yesterday. (whom
did they call yesterday?)
He was smoking a cigarette. (what
was he smoking?)
Modifier
A modifier tells the time, place, or manner of the action. Very
often it is a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase is a group of words
that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun. NOTE: A modifier of time
usually comes last if more than one modifier is present.
Examples of prepositional phrases:
In the morning, at the university, on the table
A modifier can also be an adverb or an adverbial phrase.
Last night, hurriedly, next year, outdoors, yesterday
NOTE: Every sentence does not require a modifier. A modifier
answers the question when? Where? Or how?
Examples of modifiers:
John bought a book at the bookstore (where did John buy a book?)
modifier of place
Jill was swimming in the pool yesterday. (where
was Jill swimming?)
modifier of place modifier of time
He was driving very fast. (How
was he driving?)
modifier of manner
The milk is in the the refrigerator. (where is the milk?)
modifier of place
She drove the car on Main Street. (where did she drive?)
modifier of place
We ate dinner at seven o’clock. (when
did we eat dinner?)
modifier of time
NOTE: the modifier normally follows the complement, but not
always. However, the modifier, especially when it is a prepositional phrase,
usually cannot separate the verb and the complement.
Incorrect: She drove on the street the car .
verb complement
Correct: She drove the car on the street.
verb complement
Sumber:
Pyle, Michael A,M A dan Mary Ellen Munoz Page, M A, 1995. Cliffs Toefl Preparation Guide. 5th ed. U.S.A
