Identifying Subject v. Predicate Nominative

Question

In this sentence: “What an embarrassment was that!”, the text says the simple and complete subject is that. Why is that the answer? Why is that the subject and not the predicate nominative with embarassment as the subject. If you re-word the sentence to read "What an embarassment that was!" that more clearly seems to be the subject but I am still uncertain.

Also, I usually see what as an adverb or pronoun, but in this case wouldn't it be an adjective modifying embarassment?

Thank you for your help

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

mamaverdeIf you re-word the sentence to read "What an embarassment that was!" that more clearly seems to be the subject but I am still uncertain.

True. This is the more usual word order. Think of it as a variant of

That was quite an embarrassment!

To make it exclamatory, quite an embarrassment becomes what an embarrassment and is moved to the beginning. However, just the fact that it moves to the beginning doesn't change the fact that it's a predicate nominative. And similarly, that remains the subject.

What an embarrassment that was!

Though the inversion of that was to was that is unusual, it too has no effect on the functions of the parts of the sentence, and that still remains the subject, just as it was in the statement form.

mamaverdewhat ... wouldn't it be an adjective modifying embarassment?

Yes, it's actually a special kind of adjective called a determiner.

CJ

Mamaverde · Answer

Thank you, CJ!

Identifying Subject v. Predicate Nominative

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