Direct Objects
Predicate Nouns
Predicate Adjectives
© Brent Coley 2008 | www.mrcoley.com
Direct Objects
A direct object
receives the action
of an action verb.
Direct Objects
It answers the
question “What?” or
“Whom?”
Direct Objects
To find the direct
object, first identify
the action verb of
the sentence.
The boy hit the ball.
In this sentence,
what is the action
verb?
The boy hit the ball.
In this sentence,
what is the action
verb?
Action verb: hit
The boy hit the ball.
Now ask yourself the
question, “What or
whom did the boy
hit?”
The boy hit the ball.
The boy hit the ball,
so ball is the direct
object. It receives
the action of the
verb.
Practice
Time
In the following
sentences, first
identify the action
verb. Then identify
the direct object.
Susan answered the
phone.
Susan answered the
phone.
Action verb: answered
Susan answered the
phone.
Action verb: answered
Direct object: phone
What did Susan
answer?
The phone
Yesterday I spoke
with John.
Yesterday I spoke
with John.
Action verb: spoke
Yesterday I spoke
with John.
Action verb: spoke
Direct object: John
With whom did I
speak?
John
Bob walks his dog
after school.
Bob walks his dog
after school.
Action verb: walks
Bob walks his dog
after school.
Action verb: walks
Direct object: dog
Who does Bob walk?
His dog
The dog ate the
bone.
The dog ate the
bone.
Action verb: ate
The dog ate the
bone.
Action verb: ate
Direct object: bone
What did the dog
eat?
The bone
The student did her
homework.
The student did her
homework.
Action verb: did
The student did her
homework.
Action verb: did
Direct object:
homework
What did the student
do?
Her homework
Predicate Nouns
A predicate noun
names the subject.
It follows a linking
verb.
Predicate Nouns
It answers the
question “What?” or
“How?”
I am a teacher.
I am a teacher.
The linking verb is
am. Now ask
yourself, “What am
I?”
I am a teacher.
I am a teacher, so
teacher is the
predicate noun.
Predicate Adjectives
A predicate adjective
describes the
subject. It also
follows a linking
verb.
Predicate Adjectives
It also answers the
question “What?” or
“How?”
I am hungry.
I am hungry.
The linking verb is
am. Now ask
yourself, “What am
I?”
I am hungry.
I am hungry, so
hungry is the
predicate adjective.
Practice
Time
In each of the
following sentences,
the linking verb is
underlined. Identify
the predicate noun
or predicate
adjective.
Sarah was happy
yesterday morning.
Sarah was happy
yesterday morning.
What was she?
Sarah was happy
yesterday morning.
What was she?
happy
Sarah was happy
yesterday morning.
What was she?
happy
Predicate adjective
Bill and Sally are
engineers.
Bill and Sally are
engineers.
What are they?
Bill and Sally are
engineers.
What are they?
engineers
Bill and Sally are
engineers.
What are they?
engineers
Predicate noun
They were absent
from school.
They were absent
from school.
What were they?
They were absent
from school.
What were they?
absent
They were absent
from school.
What were they?
absent
Predicate adjective
The rose smells
fresh.
The rose smells
fresh.
How does it smell?
The rose smells
fresh.
How does it smell?
fresh
The rose smells
fresh.
How does it smell?
fresh
Predicate adjective
She is an actress.
She is an actress.
What is she?
She is an actress.
What is she?
An actress
She is an actress.
What is she?
An actress
Predicate noun
Title image courtesy of
Microsoft Office Online.