Sentence Pattern Five: Subject–Linking Verb–Subject Complement (S-LV-SC)

The last sentence pattern includes a subject plus a linking verb (is, are, were, was, am, will be, being, been) plus the subject complement, which can be a noun or an adjective. In the following examples, the subject complement is used as a noun. The subject is in boldface, the linking verb is underlined once, and the subject complement is underlined twice.

Example: Bobby Bowden was the Riverboat Gambler to

his fans.

Example: He was the one to develop unconventional football

tactics.

Example: Bowden’s other nickname was King of the Road.

Example: Bowden is an overall winner with the Seminoles, with

281 victories, 83 losses, and four ties as of 1993.

Adapted from: http://www.theledger.com/top50/pages/bowden.html.

In these examples, you can exchange the linking verb for an equal sign because the subject and the subject complement mean the same thing. In the first example, Bowden = Riverboat Gambler; in the second example, He = one; in the third example, nickname = King of the Road; and in the last example, Bowden = winner. This sentence pattern is diagrammed as follows:

Example: Bobby Bowden was the Riverboat Gambler to

his fans.

Diagram:

Bobby Bowden was Riverboat Gambler

The only difference between this diagram and the one used for the direct object is that the line separating the verb from the sentence function is slanted to the left when the word is a predicate nominative. The line is straight when a direct object is used. All the subject complements in the examples are diagrammed in exactly the same way as the one above. You will practice this diagram in the next exercise.