Identify the complete verb: I can't wait until grduation

Question

a, until; b,wait; c, can't wait; d, graduation.

Answer 1

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "the complete verb," but I'm guessing the answer to your question is "c, can't wait" because neither until ("a,") nor graduation ("d,") are verbs, and in your example sentence wait ("b,") is a verb but not a finite one, i.e., it's in its basic form and not marked for tense nor person, in other words it's a (bare) infinitive.

 

That leaves can't wait, which in fact in modern analyses would be called the verb phrase because it consists of a modal auxiliary can, which carries the mandatory tense (in this case present or non-past), plus the infinitive wait. And in your example sentence the negative particle n't happens to be tacked on or contracted to can, but this does not affect the status of can wait as the main or "complete" verb phrase, as could be demonstrated by the alternate affirmative version of the sentence I can wait for graduation (said no student ever).