I'm having trouble with identifying the word in parathesis in the sentence- The Puritans considered buttons a (sign) of vanity.I think buttons is the direct object and sign a predicate adjective.
You're right about "buttons" -- "sign" is called an object complement.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/objects.htm#complement
Can you explain why? I am horrible at english. You can contact me at 601-870-6672 Please someone help me understand this new english 12 stuff....
To identify the word in parentheses correctly, you need to understand the grammatical structure of the sentence.
In the sentence, "The Puritans considered buttons a sign of vanity," the key is to determine the function of the word in parentheses, which is "sign."
To do this, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the subject and verb in the sentence.
- Subject: The Puritans
- Verb: considered
2. Determine what the subject considered.
- What did the Puritans consider? "Buttons a sign of vanity."
3. Analyze the phrase "buttons a sign of vanity."
- "Buttons" is the direct object of the verb "considered."
- "A sign of vanity" is a prepositional phrase that acts as the object complement in this sentence.
So, based on this analysis, "sign" is not a predicate adjective but rather the object complement of the verb "considered." The Puritans considered buttons to be a sign of vanity.