Pennsylvania College of Technology
ENL 111 - Vavra (Homepage)		 For more information on syntax, 
visit the KISS Homepage
Return to ENL111 Syntax Menu Return to Practice Exercises

 Finding Subjects, Finite Verbs, and Complements
Practice Exercise # 10

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.]
 

The text is:
      One Sunday in a Midwest city, a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
 
Note: In creating these pages, I cannot create a double underline. I will therefore underline both subjects and finite verbs once, but subjects will be in green; finite verbs in blue.

Sentence #1

Work your way through the text one sentence at a time. The first sentence is:
     One Sunday in a Midwest city, a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour.
First identify all the prepositional phrases: [Review this.]
     One Sunday (in a Midwest city), a young child was "acting up" (during the morning worship hour).
With the prepositional phrases out of the way, find a finite verb or verb phrase:
     One Sunday (in a Midwest city), a young child was "acting up" (during the morning worship hour).
Find the subject of "was acting up" by asking "Who or what was acting up?"
     One Sunday (in a Midwest city), a young childwas "acting up" (during the morning worship hour).
Check for a complement by asking "the child was acting up whom or what?"  That question does not make any sense, so there is no complement.
     Next check for another finite verb or verb phrase. There are none so we are finished with this sentence.

Sentence #2

The second sentence is:
The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle.
First identify all the prepositional phrases: [Review this.]
The parents did their best to maintain some sense (of order) (in the pew) but were losing the battle.
With the prepositional phrases out of the way, find a finite verb or verb phrase:
The parents did their best to maintain some sense (of order) (in the pew) but were losing the battle.
Find the subject of "did" by asking "Who or what did?" The answer is "parents."
The parentsdid their best to maintain some sense (of order) (in the pew) but were losing the battle.
Check for a complement by asking "The parents did whom or what?" The answer to that question is "their best." To determine the type of the complement:
1. Is it a predicate adjective? "Their best" does not describe the subject ("parents"), so it cannot be a predicate adjective.
2. Is it a predicate noun? "Their best" and the subject ("parents") do not refer to the same thing, they are not "equal," so the complement cannot be a predicate noun.
3. Is it an indirect object? The sentence does not mean the parents did  "to" or "for" their best, so it cannot be an indirect object.
4. Thus this complement has to be a direct object, the only option left.
The parentsdid their best(DO) to maintain some sense (of order) (in the pew) but were losing the battle.
We need to check for another finite verb or verb phrase. A finite verb phrase cannot begin with "to," so "to maintain" is not finite, but we do find another finite verb in "were losing."
The parentsdid their best(DO) to maintain some sense (of order) (in the pew) but were losing the battle.
Find the subject of "were losing" by asking "Who or what were losing?" The answer here is again  "parents," so "did" and "were losing" share the same subject (and are thus part of the same pattern).
     Check for a complement by asking "The parents were losing whom or what?" The answer to that question is the "battle." To determine the type of the complement:
1. Is it a predicate adjective? "Battle" does not describe the subject ("parents"), so it cannot be a predicate adjective.
2. Is it a predicate noun? "Battle" and the subject ("parents") do not refer to the same thing, they are not "equal," so the complement cannot be a predicate noun.
3. Is it an indirect object? The sentence does not mean the parents were losing  "to" or "for" the battle, so it cannot be an indirect object.
4. Thus this complement has to be a direct object, the only option left.
The parentsdid their best(DO) to maintain some sense (of order) (in the pew) but were losing the battle(DO).
Next check for another finite verb or verb phrase. There are none so we are finished with this sentence.

Sentence #3

The third sentence is:
Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out.
First identify all the prepositional phrases: [Review this.]
Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly (up the aisle) (on his way) out.
Next look for a finite verb or verb phrase. [Note that I am including "up" in this phrase, but I would not count it wrong if you did not do so.]
Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly (up the aisle) (on his way) out.
Find the subject of "picked up" by asking "Who or what picked up?" The answer here is "father."
Finally, the fatherpicked the little fellow up and walked sternly (up the aisle) (on his way) out.
Check for a complement by asking "The father picked up whom or what?" The answer to that question is "fellow." To determine the type of the complement:
1. Is it a predicate adjective? "Fellow" does not describe the subject ("father"), so it cannot be a predicate adjective.
2. Is it a predicate noun? "Fellow" and the subject ("father") do not refer to the same thing, they are not "equal," so the complement cannot be a predicate noun.
3. Is it an indirect object? The sentence does not mean the father picked up  "to" or "for" the little fellow, so it cannot be an indirect object.
4. Thus this complement has to be a direct object, the only option left.
Finally, the fatherpicked the little fellow (DO)up and walked sternly (up the aisle) (on his way) out.
Check for another finite verb or verb phrase. We  find one in "walked."
Finally, the fatherpicked the little fellow (DO)up and walked sternly (up the aisle) (on his way) out.
Find the subject of "walked" by asking "Who or what walked?" The answer here is again "father." 
     Check for a complement by asking "The father walked whom or what?" There is no answer to that question in this sentence, so there is no complement for "walked."
     Next check for another finite verb or verb phrase. There are none so we are finished with this sentence.

Sentence #4

The fourth sentence is:
 Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
First identify all the prepositional phrases: [Review this.]
Just (before reaching) the safety (of the foyer), the little one called loudly (to the congregation), "Pray (for me)! Pray (for me)!"
With the prepositional phrases out of the way, find a finite verb or verb phrase: Note that although "reaching" is a verb, it fails the sentence test and thus is not finite. Thus the first finite verb in the sentence is "called."
Just (before reaching) the safety (of the foyer), the little one called loudly (to the congregation), "Pray (for me)! Pray (for me)!"
Find the subject of "called up" by asking "Who or what called?" The answer here is the little "one."
Just (before reaching) the safety (of the foyer), the little onecalled loudly (to the congregation), "Pray (for me)! Pray (for me)!"
Check for a complement by asking "The little one called whom or what?" The answer to that question is "Pray for me! Pray for me!"  Unless we have been working on clauses, I would not expect you to know that those are two clauses, but I would expect you to be able to determine the type of the complement. To do so:
1. Is it a predicate adjective? "Pray for me! Pray for me!" does not describe the subject (the little "one"), so it cannot be a predicate adjective.
2. Is it a predicate noun? "Pray for me! Pray for me!" and the subject (the little "one") do not refer to the same thing, they are not "equal," so the complement cannot be a predicate noun.
3. Is it an indirect object? The sentence does not mean the little one called  "to" or "for" "Pray for me! Pray for me!", so it cannot be an indirect object.
4. Thus this complement has to be a direct object, the only option left.
If you have not been working on clauses, I would not expect you to know how to label this complement.
      Next check for another finite verb or verb phrase. We find two, in the repeated "Pray."
Just (before reaching) the safety (of the foyer), the little onecalled loudly (to the congregation), "Pray (for me)! Pray (for me)!"
Find the subject of "pray" by asking "Who or what pray?" In these patterns, the answer is an understood "You."
     Check for a complement by asking "Pray whom or what?" Nothing answers these questions, so there is not complement.
     Next check for another finite verb or verb phrase. There are none so we are finished with this sentence.
Go to Finding Clauses.