+411.+ We have another class of incomplete verbs which require a
complement to complete their meaning. These are the copulative verbs.
The number of copulative verbs is small. They are: all forms of the verb
_be_; also, _like_, _appear_, _look_, _feel_, _sound_, _smell_,
_become_, _seem_, etc. These verbs require a noun or an adjective or a
phrase as a complement, to complete their meaning. They are really
connective words serving to connect the noun or adjective or phrase used
in the predicate with the noun which they modify. The noun or adjective
or phrase used to complete the meaning of the copulative verb is called
a predicate complement. For example:
The man is a hero.
Here we have a noun, _hero_, used as a predicate complement after the
copulative verb, _is_, to describe the noun _man_.
The man is class-conscious.
In this sentence, we have an adjective, _class-conscious_, in the
predicate to modify the subject, _man_. It is connected with the subject
by the copulative verb _is_.
The man is in earnest.
Here we have a phrase, _in earnest_, used in the predicate to modify the
noun _man_, and connected with the subject by the copulative verb _is_.
+412.+ So in the predicate with the copulative verbs--incomplete verbs
which express state or condition--we may use a noun or an adjective or a
phrase. A noun used as the predicate complement may have modifiers. It
may be modified by one or more adjectives or adjective phrases. These
adjectives in turn may be modified by adverbs. The complete predicate,
then, is the copulative verb with its predicate complement and all its
modifiers. For example:
Grant was the most famous general of the Civil war.
In this sentence, _Grant_ is the complete subject, _was the most famous
general of the Civil war_ is the complete predicate. _Was_ is the
copulative verb; _general_ is the noun used as the predicate complement;
_the_ and _famous_ are adjectives modifying _general_; _most_ is an
adverb modifying the adjective _famous_, and, _of the Civil war_ is an
adjective phrase modifying _general_, so our complete predicate is, _was
the most famous general of the Civil war_.
When an adjective is used in the predicate complement it, too, may have
modifiers and more than one adjective may be used. For example:
The man is very brave and loyal to his class.
Here we have two adjectives used in the predicate complement, _brave_
and _loyal_. _Brave_ is modified by the adverb _very_, and _loyal_ is
modified by the adverb phrase, _to his class_. The complete predicate
is, _is very brave and loyal to his class_.
When we use a phrase as a predicate complement, it, too, may have
modifiers and more than one phrase may be used. For example:
The man is in the fight and deeply in earnest.
In this sentence, two phrases are used in the predicate complement, _in
the fight_ and _in earnest_. The second phrase, _in earnest_ is modified
by the adverb _deeply_. The complete predicate is, _is in the fight and
deeply in earnest_.