+Hints for Oral Instruction+.—When we say, The sun gives, we express no complete thought. The subject sun is complete, but the predicate gives does not make a complete assertion. When we say, The sun gives light, we do utter a complete thought. The predicate gives is completed by the word light. Whatever fills out, or completes, we call a +Complement+. We will therefore call light the complement of the predicate. As light completes the predicate by naming the thing acted upon, we call it the +Object Complement+.

Expressions like the following may be written on the board, and by a series of questions the pupils may be made to dwell upon these facts till they are thoroughly understood.

The officer arrested ——-; the boy found ——-; Charles saw ——-; coopers make ——-.

Besides these verbs requiring object complements, there are others that do not make complete sense without the aid of a complement of another kind.

A complete predicate does the asserting and expresses what is asserted. In the sentence, Armies march, march is a complete predicate, for it does the asserting and expresses what is asserted; viz., marching. In the phrase, armies marching, marching expresses the same act as that denoted by march, but it asserts nothing. In the sentence, Chalk is white, is does the asserting, but it does not express what is asserted. We do not wish to assert merely that chalk is or exists. What we wish to assert of chalk, is the quality expressed by the adjective white. As white expresses a quality or attribute, we may call it an +Attribute Complement+.

Using expressions like the following, let the facts given above be drawn from the class by means of questions.

Grass growing; grass grows; green grass; grass is green.

+DEFINITION.—The Object Complement of a sentence completes the predicate, and names that which receives the act+.

+DEFINITION.—The Attribute Complement of a sentence completes the predicate and belongs to the subject+.

The complement with all its modifiers is called the +Modified
Complement+.

Analysis and Parsing.

+Model+.—Fulton invented the first steamboat.

Fulton " invented " steamboat
========"======================
" \ \
\the \first

+Explanation of the Diagram+.—You will see that the line standing for the object complement is a continuation of the predicate line, and that the little vertical line only touches this without cutting it.

+Oral Analysis.—+Fulton and invented, as before. Steamboat is the object complement, because it completes the predicate, and names that which receives the act. The and first, as before. The first steamboat is the modified complement.

1. Caesar crossed the Rubicon. 2. Morse invented the telegraph. 3. Ericsson built the Monitor. 4. Hume wrote a history. 5. Morn purples the east, 6. Antony beheaded Cicero.

+Model+.—Gold is malleable.

Gold " is \ malleable ====="=============== "

In this diagram, the line standing for the attribute complement, like the object line, is a continuation of the predicate line; but notice the difference in the little mark separating the incomplete[Footnote: Hereafter we shall call the verb the predicate, but, when followed by a complement, it must be regarded as an incomplete predicate.] predicate from the complement.

+Oral Analysis+.—-Gold and is, as before.

Malleable is the attribute complement, because it completes the predicate, and expresses a quality belonging to gold.

7. Pure water is tasteless. 8. The hare is timid. 9. Fawns are graceful. 10. This peach is delicious. 11. He was extremely prodigal. 12. The valley of the Mississippi is very fertile.

+To the Teacher+—See Notes, pp. 183,184.

* * * * *

LESSON 40.

ERRORS IN THE USE OF MODIFIERS.

+Caution+.—Place adverbs where there can be no doubt as to the words they modify.

ERRORS TO BE CORRECTED.

I only bring forward a few things.

Hath the Lord only [Footnote: Adverbs sometimes modify phrases.]spoken by
Moses?

We merely speak of numbers.

The Chinese chiefly live upon rice.

+Caution+.—In placing the adverb, regard must be had to the sound of the sentence.

ERRORS TO BE CORRECTED.

We always should do our duty.
The times have changed surely.
The work will be never finished.
He must have certainly been sick.

+Caution+.—Adverbs must not be used for adjectives.

ERRORS TO BE CORRECTED.

I feel badly.
Marble feels coldly.
She looks nicely.
It was sold cheaply.
It appears still more plainly.
That sounds harshly.
I arrived at home safely.

+Caution+.—Adjectives must not be used for adverbs.

ERRORS TO BE CORRECTED.

The bells ring merry.
The curtain hangs graceful.
That is a decided weak point.
Speak no coarser than usual.
These are the words nearest connected.
Talk slow and distinct.
She is a remarkable pretty girl.

+To the Teacher+.—For additional exercises in distinguishing adjectives from adverbs, see Notes, p. 181.

REVIEW QUESTIONS.

What is a conjunction? What is an interjection? Give two rules for the use of the comma (Lesson 37). What is the rule for writing abbreviations? What is the rule for the exclamation point? What is an object complement? What is an attribute complement? Illustrate both. What are the cautions for the position of the adverb? What are the cautions for the use of the adverb and the adjective?

+To the Teacher+.—See COMPOSITION EXERCISES in the Supplement-Selection from Habberton.

* * * * *

LESSON 41.

ERRORS IN THE POSITION AND USE OF MODIFIERS.

+Caution+.—Phrase modifiers should be placed as near as may be to the words they modify.

+To the Teacher+.—For composition exercises with particular reference to arrangement, see Notes, pp. 172-176.

ERRORS TO BE CORRECTED.

A fellow was arrested with short hair.
I saw a man digging a well with a Roman nose.
He died and went to his rest in New York.
Wanted—A room by two gentlemen thirty feet long and twenty feet wide.
Some garments were made for the family of thick material.
The vessel was beautifully painted with a tall mast.
I perceived that it had been scoured with half an eye.
A house was built by a mason of brown stone.
A pearl was found by a sailor in a shell.

Punctuate these sentences when corrected.

+Caution+.—Care must be taken to select the right preposition.

+To the Teacher+.—For the preposition to be used, consult the Unabridged
Dictionaries.

ERRORS TO BE CORRECTED.

They halted with the river on their backs.
The cat jumped on the chair.
He fell onto the floor.
He went in the house.
He divides his property between his four sons.
He died for thirst.
This is different to that.
Two thieves divided the booty among themselves.
I am angry at him.

+Caution+.—Do not use two negative, or denying, words so that one shall contradict the other, unless you wish to affirm.

ERRORS TO BE CORRECTED.

I haven't no umbrella.

Correct by dropping either the adjective no or the adverb not; as, I have no umbrella, or I have not an umbrella.

I didn't say nothing.
I can't do this in no way.
No other emperor was so wise nor powerful.
Nothing can never be annihilated.