Directions: 
1. First place parentheses ( ) around every prepositional phrase.
2. Underline every subject once, every finite verb twice, and label complements (PA,PN, IO or DO). [Reminder: A predicate adjective describes the subject; a predicate noun "equals" the subject; an indirect object is someone or thing "to" or "for" whom (or what) the action of the verb is performed. Any other complement has to be a direct object.]
 

Work your way through the text one sentence at a time. The first sentence is:

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mike, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went.

First identify all the prepositional phrases: [Review this.]

The preacher was wired (for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as he preached, he moved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

With the prepositional phrases out of the way, find a finite verb or verb phrase:

The preacher was wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as he preached, he moved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

Find the subject of "was wired" by asking "Who or what was wired?"

The preacherwas wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as he preached, he moved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

Check for a complement by asking "The preacher was wired whom or what?" Because that question does not make sense, there is no complement, so we look for another finite verb or phrase:

The preacherwas wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as he preached, he moved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

Find the subject of "preached" by asking "Who or what preached?"

The preacherwas wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as hepreached, he moved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

Check for a complement by asking "He preached whom or what?" Because there is nothing in the sentence that answers that question, there is no complement. So we look for another finite verb or phrase:

The preacherwas wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as hepreached, he moved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

Find the subject of "moved" by asking "Who or what moved?"

The preacherwas wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as hepreached, hemoved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

Check for a complement by asking "He moved whom or what?" Because there is nothing in the sentence that answers that question, there is no complement. So we look for another finite verb or phrase, which we find in "went."      [You may be tempted to underline "jerking" as a finite verb, but it fails the simple sentence test. (Click here fore more.)]

The preacherwas wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as hepreached, hemoved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as he went.

Find the subject of "went" by asking "Who or what went?"

The preacherwas wired(for sound) (with a lapel mike), and as hepreached, hemoved briskly (about the platform), jerking the mike cord as hewent.

Check for a complement by asking "He went whom or what?" Because there is nothing in the sentence that answers that question, there is no complement.      There are no more finite verbs in this sentence, so we are finished with it.

The second sentence is:

Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.

First identify all the prepositional phrases: [Review this.]

Then he moved (to one side), getting wound up (in the cord) and nearly tripping (before jerking it again).

With the prepositional phrases out of the way, find a finite verb or verb phrase:

Then he moved(to one side), getting wound up (in the cord) and nearly tripping (before jerking it again).

Find the subject of "moved" by asking "Who or what moved?"

Then he moved(to one side), getting wound up (in the cord) and nearly tripping (before jerking it again).

Check for a complement by asking "He moved whom or what?" Because there is nothing in the sentence that answers that question, there is no complement.       So we look for another finite verb or phrase. You may be tempted to underline "getting" and/or  "tripping"as a finite verb, but they fail the simple sentence test, so they are not finite. Thus there are no more finite verbs in this sentence We are finished with it.

The third sentence is:

After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

First identify all the prepositional phrases: [Review this.]

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned (toward her mother) and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

With the prepositional phrases out of the way, find a finite verb or verb phrase:

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew)leaned (toward her mother) and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

Find the subject of "leaned" by asking "Who or what leaned?"

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

Check for a complement by asking "A girl leaned whom or what?" Because there is nothing in the sentence that answers that question (It doesn't make sense.), there is no complement. So we look for another finite verb or phrase.

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

Find the subject of "whispered" by asking "Who or what whispered?" The answer, of course, is "girl." Note that because "leaned" and "whispered" share the same subject, we are dealing with only one S/V/C pattern. (Any slot in the pattern can be compounded.)      Check for a complement of "whispered" by asking "A girl whispered whom or what?" The answer to that question is itself a sentence -- "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?" Technically, it is a clause -- and, more precisely, a clause with a clause within it. I will therefore not expect you to be able to identify a complement like this until you have been working with clauses for a while.      If you cannot identify the complement of a finite verb, or if you are simply confused about it, move on and check for another finite verb:

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

Find the subject of "gets" by asking "Who or what gets?"

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If hegets loose, will he hurt us?"

Check for a complement by asking "He gets whom or what?" The answer to that question is "loose." Because "loose" is an adjective, the complement is a predicate adjective.

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If hegetsloose (PA), will he hurt us?"

Check for another finite verb or verb phrase. Note that because it is a question, the normal word order, "he will hurt us," is rearranged.

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If hegetsloose (PA), will he hurt us?"

Find the subject of "will hurt" by asking "Who or what will hurt?"

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If hegetsloose (PA), willhehurt us?"

Check for a complement by asking "He will hurt whom or what?" The answer to that question is "us." Because "us" is not an adjective (and it does not describe the subect ("he"), it is not a predicate adjective. Because "will hurt" in no way means "equals," "us" is not a predicate noun. In this course, you can therefore simply consider it to be a direct object, which, in fact, it is. [The only other option would be an indirect object, but the sentence does not mean "He will hurt 'to' or 'for' us." Thus it is not an indirect object.]

(After several circles and jerks), a little girl (in the third pew) leaned(toward her mother) and whispered, "If hegetsloose (PA), willhehurtus (DO)?"

Since there are no more finite verbs in this sentence, we are finished with it.