AboutRosemary Lenc Expertise I am a retired Middle School teacher. I am an expert in grammar (structure of the English
language) and writing. I have been a volunteer with AOL Ask A Teacher and have
submitted many articles and special collections (one on diagramming sentences and one
with worksheets and answers so students can check their own practice on grammar skills)
to their knowledge database. I still am with them but would like other work where I can
help students with their English study. I have time to help you with this, if you want me. I
can help with grade school, middle school and high school grammar & writing and can
also look up information on literature (reading) for students and help them with it.
Please let me know if I can be of help in these areas. Thank you.
Rosemary Lenc
Experience
Past/Present clients Have helped many, many students in grade school language arts, middle school and high
school grammar and writing in both the chat rooms (live help that AOL use to have) and
message board answers plus the many students i have taught as a teacher.
Question My daughter needs to know what a gerund predicate noun is. She knows all the others really well but this confuses her. Thank You
Answer Dear Anita,
Remember that a gerund is a form of a verb, ending in -ing, being used as a noun. One of the ways it is used as a noun is as a predicate noun. Remember that a predicate noun follows a linking verb (the linking verbs are given at the end of this answer) and renames the subject. So here are some examples for you.
A good exercise for all is walking. (walking is a gerund predicate noun renaming exercise.)
The program's goal is providing students with artistic opportunity.
(providing is the gerund that is being used as a gerund predicate noun renaming the subject "goal" and the whole gerund phrase is: providing students( direct object of providing ) with artistic opportunity (prepositional phrase modifying the gerund, providing)
My favorite activity is reading. Reading is the gerund predicate noun, renaming activity.
Linking verbs:
Besides the forms of the verb, "to be" (am, is, are, was, were, been, being, one can have some of these action/linking verbs depending on whether the word following them is a direct object, or a predicate noun which renames the subject)
They are:
These are the verbs that could be action or linking verbs:
appear
become
feel
grow
look
seem
remain
smell
sound
stay
taste
Linking or Action Verb?
(Sense words)
Definition:
Linking verb: A linking verb is a verb that links a word in the predicate to the subject. That word will either be a noun (predicate noun), which will rename the subject, or an adjective (predicate adjective), which will describe the subject.
Action verb: A verb that shows action. It may or may not have a noun or pronoun following it that receives the action of the verb (direct object).
There are some words (sense words) that will be linking or action verbs depending on how they are used in a sentence.
Examples:
Mary seems to like the house.
Seems is an action verb, but there is no direct object here.
The house seems large.
Seems is a linking verb -- large is a predicate adjective that describes the subject house.
These are the verbs that could be action or linking verbs:
appear
become
feel
grow
look
seem
remain
smell
sound
stay
taste
Exercise: Find the verbs in the following sentences. Write the verbs on your paper, and then tell whether the verbs are action or linking verbs.
1. The ghost appeared in the doorway.
2. The child appeared tired.
3. Bill became the president of the student council.
4. The cloth on the table felt soft and fuzzy.
5. Jeannie grows taller every day.
6. The tree grows every day.
7. John felt sick after lunch.
8. The leftover food from the picnic smelled rotten.
9. Steve smelled the flowers.
10. Please stay in the house.
11. Mom tasted the soup.
12. The soup tasted salty.
13. Jenny looks at the pictures in the book.
14. Jenny looks beautiful in that dress.
15. The radio sounded the emergency alarm.
16. The school bell sounded loud.
17. The students remained still during the drill.
18. Remain in the room while the bell is ringing.
19. Ginger seemed happy at the party.
20. Feel the roughness of the sandpaper.
Check yourself with these answers:
1. appeared -- action
2. appeared -- linking (tired is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, child)
3. became -- linking (president is a predicate noun modifying the subject, Bill)
4. felt -- linking (soft & fuzzy are predicate adjectives modifying the subject, cloth)
5. grows -- linking (taller is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, Jeannie)
6. grows -- action
7. felt -- linking (sick is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, John)
8. smelled -- linking (rotten is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, food)
9. smelled -- action
10. stay -- action
11. tasted -- action
12. tasted -- linking (salty is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, soup.)
13. looks -- action
14. looks -- linking (beautiful is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, Jenny)
15. sounded -- action
16. sounded -- linking (loud is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, bell)
17. remained -- linking (still is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, students)
18. remain -- action
19. seemed -- linking (happy is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, Ginger)
20. feel -- action (direct object...roughness)
