Doubt About Linking Verbs
Hey guys. How are you? I hope you are doing well!
Anyway, I have a question regarding linking verbs, check it:
According to: Longman English's grammar book:
A complement of subject may be:
- an adjective: Frank is clever.
- a noun: Frank is an architect.
- an adjective + noun: Frank is a clever architect.
- a pronoun: This book is mine.
- an adverb of place or time: The meeting is here. The meeting is at 2.30.
- a prepositional phrase: Alice is like her father.
It says a complement of a subject may be a prepositional phrase; then it means that this sentence is right:
John is the founder and president of this company. His passion is to teach people how to speak english.
So: "Is" is acting as a linking verb, right? Therefore, is "to teach people how to speak english" a complement of the subject? Since it's a prepositional phrase?
Top answer
It's not a prepositional phrase. to teach is an infinitive. To teach people how to speak English is a non-finite clause.
- It's not a prepositional phrase.
- to teach is an infinitive.
- To teach people how to speak English is a non-finite clause.
- A clause (finite or non-finite) can be a subject complement.
- Here are more examples.
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It's not a prepositional phrase.
to teach is an infinitive. To teach people how to speak English is a non-finite clause.
A clause (finite or non-finite) can be a subject complement. Here are more examples.
It was what he thought it was.
His job is teaching people how to speak English.
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