English Language Arts
Grade 9
15 min
Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns
Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns
What you'll learn
- Arrange at least 3 out of 5 sets of scrambled words to form grammatically correct sentences.
- Identify the subject and verb in at least 4 out of 5 correctly unscrambled sentences.
- Explain why a sentence needs to start with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark in at least 2 out of 3 sentences.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between linking verbs and action verbs within complex sentences.
Accurately identify the subject and the linking verb in a given sentence.
Define and locate predicate adjectives that modify the subject.
Define and locate predicate nouns that rename the subject.
Analyze how authors use linking verbs and subject complements to develop character and theme.
Construct their own sentences using linking verbs with both predicate adjectives and predicate nouns to enhance their analytical writing.
Is a character's journey a difficult one, or does the journey itself *become* the challenge? 🤔 The grammar we use to describe states of being is a powerful tool for analysis.
This tutorial will dissect the sentence structure that describes what somet...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Linking VerbA verb that connects the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase in the predicate that describes or renames it. It acts like a grammatical equals sign (=) and does not show action.In the play, the king *is* a tyrant. (king = tyrant)
Action VerbA verb that expresses physical or mental action. It shows what the subject *does*.The king *rules* the country with an iron fist. (The king is performing the action of ruling.)
Subject ComplementThe general term for a word or group of words that follows a linking verb and modifies, describes, or renames the subject. There are two types: predicate adjectives and predicate nouns.The protagonist seems *confused*. ('confused' is the subject complement describing the protagonist).
Predicate Adjective (PA)An a...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The 'Equals Sign' Test
Subject = Subject Complement
To check if a verb is a linking verb, try to replace it with an equals sign (=). If the sentence still makes logical sense by showing the subject is equal to what follows, the verb is likely a linking verb. For example, in 'The sky is blue,' 'sky = blue' makes sense. In 'The bird sings a song,' 'bird = song' does not make sense, so 'sings' is an action verb.
The 'Form of Be' Substitution Test
Replace the verb with 'is', 'am', or 'are'.
For verbs other than 'to be' (like seem, feel, become), you can often test if they are linking verbs by substituting a form of 'to be'. If the sentence's core meaning i...
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Challenging
An author writes: 'The king was a tyrant.' A different author writes: 'The king was tyrannical.' What is the most significant rhetorical difference between using the predicate noun ('a tyrant') and the predicate adjective ('tyrannical')?
A.There is no significant rhetorical difference; they mean the same thing.
B.The predicate noun defines the king's entire identity, while the predicate adjective describes a quality he possesses.
C.The predicate adjective is more formal and appropriate for academic writing.
D.The predicate noun implies a temporary state, while the predicate adjective implies a permanent one.
Challenging
A student writes the following sentence in an essay: 'The protagonist felt badly about his decision.' Based on the tutorial's distinction between predicate adjectives and adverbs, why is this sentence grammatically flawed?
A.The sentence is correct because 'badly' describes how the protagonist performed the action of feeling.
B.'Felt' is an action verb here, so it requires a direct object, not an adverb.
C.'Felt' is a linking verb connecting the subject to his state of being, so it requires the predicate adjective 'bad,' not the adverb 'badly.'
D.The word 'badly' should be placed before the verb 'felt' for proper emphasis.
Challenging
Original sentence: 'The character's monologue showed his internal conflict.' Which revision most effectively uses a linking verb and predicate adjective to strengthen this analytical statement?
A.The character's monologue was a sign of his internal conflict.
B.In his monologue, the character seemed conflicted.
C.The character performed a monologue about his internal conflict.
D.The character's internal conflict appeared during the monologue.
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Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns is a Grade 9 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns?
You'll be able to: Arrange at least 3 out of 5 sets of scrambled words to form grammatically correct sentences; Identify the subject and verb in at least 4 out of 5 correctly unscrambled sentences; Explain why a sentence needs to start with a….
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This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.