Can an adverbial clause be a complement of linking verb?
Hello, could someone please help.
Can an adverbial clause be a complement of linking verb?
I saw a sentence: He has become as his father once was.
I think "become" is a linking verb; "as his father once was" is an adverbial clause, where "as" is a subordinate conjunction.
According to what I know, complements of linking verbs are adjective, noun, adverbial of place and time. However, I didn't see any rule say an adverbial clause can be a complement of linking verb. And the clause-as his father once was- is definitely not an adverbial of place or time.
Please help, thank you!
Top answer
He has become as [ his father once was ] . This is a comparative construction where "as" is a preposition with the bracketed comparative clause as complement. Note that "as" could be replaced with "like", in which case it would be an adjective phrase.
- He has become as [ his father once was ] .
- This is a comparative construction where "as" is a preposition with the bracketed comparative clause as complement.
- Note that "as" could be replaced with "like", in which case it would be an adjective phrase.
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He has become as [his father once was].
This is a comparative construction where "as" is a preposition with the bracketed comparative clause as complement.
Note that "as" could be replaced with "like", in which case it would be an adjective phrase.
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