Surfside Academy Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I'm ashamed to admit that this sentence has me and my boys flummoxed. Dad said the glass was half full. "Said" is the predicate, "Dad" is the subject but I'm not sure what to do with "the glass was half full." I know its an indirect quote but that isn't helping me parse the sentence. Off to get out my Grammar Island along and another cup of coffee in shame... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Dad said the glass was half full. Dad is the subject and a noun. Said is the verb. Said the glass is half full is the complete predicate. Glass is a direct object and a noun. Was half full is an adjective phrase. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 (edited) This would be my guess... Dad said the glass was half full. Subject: Dad (noun) Verb: said Direct Object (noun clause acting as a direct object): the glass was half full (within the noun clause: glass= subject, was = linking verb, full = predicate adjective. half = adverb modifying full? not sure about half) The noun clause (the glass was half full) is acting as a direct object in this sentence because it answers the question, "What did Dad say?" Answer: "the glass was full." (A noun, a pronoun, or a clause acting as a noun that answers "what?" or "whom" to the verb is a direct object.) To diagram it, I'd put glass I was \ full I \half I Dad I said I /\ Drat. Formatting is off. Dad I said I is on the baseline. glass I was \ full is on stilts where the direct object goes. And the line after the subjects (dad and glass) should go through the baseline. Edited February 8, 2012 by yvonne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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