I am to find the subject complement and linking verb in this sentence.
At first we felt overwhelmed by the job ahead of us.
Could you please help me understand , the examples in my book are not helping.
Thank you
The easiest way to approach analyzing sentences is to first put parentheses around the prepositional phrases. That eliminates them from being subjects, verbs or complements.
(At first) we felt overwhelmed (by the job) (ahead of us).
That leaves three words:
We felt overwhelmed.
One of these words is the subject. One is the verb, and the other is the subject complement.
What do you think they are?
I urge you to print this list of common prepositions and consult it when you're analyzing sentences.
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm
we:subject
felt:action verb
overwhelmed:do
Of course! Understanding subject complements and linking verbs can sometimes be confusing, but with a little explanation, it becomes easier.
In the sentence, "At first we felt overwhelmed by the job ahead of us," the subject complement is the part of the sentence that renames or describes the subject. The linking verb is the verb that connects the subject to the subject complement.
To find the subject complement, let's start by identifying the subject. In this case, the subject is "we," which refers to the people mentioned in the sentence.
Next, let's find the verb that connects the subject to the subject complement. In this sentence, the linking verb is "felt."
Now, we need to identify the subject complement. In this case, the subject complement is "overwhelmed by the job ahead of us." It describes or renames the subject "we" by explaining how they felt.
So, the subject complement in the sentence is "overwhelmed by the job ahead of us," and the linking verb is "felt."
I hope this helps clarify the concept! Let me know if you have any more questions.