Plain English Part 93

Can the _work_ be accomplished quickly?

Must our _youth_ end so quickly?

+423.+ +The real subject comes after the verb when we use the introductory word it.+ As for example:

It will not be safe _to go_.

_To go_ is really the subject of the sentence. _To go will not be safe._

_It_ is sometimes the real subject of a sentence, as in the sentence; _It is a wonderful story_.

Here _it_ is the subject of the sentence and _a wonderful story_ is the predicate complement. But in the sentence:

It is wonderful to hear him tell the story.

_To hear him tell the story_ is the real subject of the sentence. The first sentence, _It is a wonderful story_, could not be rewritten, but the second sentence could be rewritten, as follows:

To hear him tell the story is wonderful.

+424.+ +The introductory word there reverses the order of the sentence+, just as the introductory word _it_. The real subject is used later in the sentence. As for example:

There were a great many people present.

This could be rewritten, omitting the introductory word _there_. We could say:

A great many people were present.

The noun _people_ is the subject of the sentence.

Exercise 1

In the following sentences, underscore the complete subject with one line, and the simple subject with two lines, and decide whether the simple subject is a noun, p.r.o.noun, participle, infinitive or an adjective used as a noun:

1. A great man is universal and elemental.

2. To love justice was his creed.

3. A more inspiring and n.o.ble declaration of faith was never born of human heart.

4. The reading of good books should begin in childhood.

5. Dreaming of great things will not bring us to the goal.

6. The weary seek for rest.

7. To believe in yourself is the first essential.

8. He, speaking and writing constantly for the cause, has given his life to the movement.

9. To remain ignorant is to remain a slave.

10. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

11. A great soul has simply nothing to do with consistency.

12. To be great is to be misunderstood.

13. Traveling is a fool's paradise.

14. It is not enough to be sincere.

15. We, seeking the truth, have found our own.

16. There are thousands of comrades with us.

THE COMPLETE PREDICATE

+425.+ Look first in the predicate for your verb. It will always be the princ.i.p.al part of your predicate. It may be a verb or a verb phrase, but the first thing in a.n.a.lyzing the complete predicate of the sentence is to find the verb. The verb or verb phrase without any of its modifiers const.i.tutes the simple predicate. If the verb is a complete verb, its only modifiers will be adverbs or adverb phrases. For example:

A splendid statue of Lincoln stands yonder in the park.

In this sentence, _stands yonder in the park_ is the complete predicate.

_Stands_ is a complete verb. It requires no object, but it is modified by the adverb _yonder_ and by the adverb phrase _in the park_.

INCOMPLETE VERBS

+426.+ If the verb in the predicate is an incomplete verb of action, then the object of the verb is also part of the predicate. The complete predicate containing an incomplete verb of action may contain five parts; a verb, a direct object, an indirect object, an adverb and an adverb phrase. As for example:

The tailor gladly made him a coat at that time.

In this sentence, the complete predicate is _gladly made him a coat at that time_. _Made_ is the verb. It is an incomplete verb of action, and _coat_ is its direct object. _Him_ is the indirect object. _Made_ is also modified by the adverb _gladly_, and the adverb phrase, _at that time_.

All of these are not always used, of course, in every predicate; but these are the elements which may occur in the predicate with an incomplete verb.

THE OBJECT OF THE VERB

+427.+ Words used as objects of a verb are practically the same as those which may be used for its subject.

+We may have a noun used as the object of the verb.+ For example:

Hail destroyed the _crops_.

The banks rob the _farmers_.

We must educate the _children_.

Labor produces all _wealth_.

In these sentences, _crops_, _farmers_, _children_ and _wealth_ are nouns used as the object of the verb.

+A p.r.o.noun may also be used as the object of a verb.+ For example:

Will you not teach _me_?

Send _them_ to her.

They have invited _us_.

The comrades will remember _him_.

In the above sentences, _me_, _them_, _us_ and _him_ are the objects of the verbs, _will teach_, _send_, _have invited_ and _will remember_.

Remember that in p.r.o.nouns we have a different form for the object form, as, _me_, _her_, _him_, _us_ and _them_.

+428.+ +An infinitive may also be used as the object of a verb+, thus: