Grammar Notes for Friday, March 5th:
Sam is an excellent STUDENT in Ms. Bridges’ class.
Sam is the subject.
"...is an excellent student in Ms. Bridges' class...." is the predicate.
STUDENT is the predicate nominative. The predicate nominative is the NOUN in the predicate that refers back to the subject. (It’s also called a complement.)
The following words introduce noun clauses.
That what whatever when whenever where whether who whoever whom whomever why
Noun clauses are subordinate clauses that act as nouns.
NOUN CLAUSES can be used as subjects:
WHAT DANIKA DID TO RESCUE THE SICK CAT was brave.
What Danika did to rescue the sick cat is the subject.
NOUN CLAUSES can be used as predicate nominatives:
The winner of the contest will be the one who gives the best audition.
Winner is the subject.
WHO GIVES THE BEST AUDITION is the predicate nominative.
NOUN CLAUSES can be used as direct objects. (The who or what or whoever usually follows the verb.)
Abby discovered WHAT WAS HIDDEN IN THE TREASURE CHEST.
Discover is the verb.
WHAT is the relative pronoun and immediately follows the verb (what is the thing that was discovered. What receives the action of the verb discover.)
NOUN CLAUSES can be used as indirect objects.
Give WHATEVER PARTS NEED A CLEANING a rinse in detergent.
Give is the verb.
Whatever is the relative pronoun.
NOUN CLAUSES can be used as objects of a preposition.
Here are some prepositions:
At
Below
By
For
Next
On
Over
To
With
But there are many more.
A preposition is anything a kitten can do to a table.
A kitten can run through a table.
A kitten can run under a table.
A kitten can sit on a table.
Raven and Vada walked to the store, through the front door, by Jordan, the security guard, through the store, and out the back door.
Adriana checks the i.d. of whoever visits the class.
Of is the preposition.
Whoever is the relative pronoun.
The noun clause is whoever visits.
Homework assignment: pages 106, 107 and 108 in HOLT’S HANDBOOK. Exercise 5 and Review A; due Tuesday, March 9th.
Please write the complete sentence; underline the noun clause; and then show how it’s being used: subject; predicate nominative; direct object; indirect object; object of the preposition.
