Julie B. answered • 10/03/20
Certified Secondary English Teacher
Predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives are both linked to the subject of the sentence by a linking verb, not an action verb.
Ex.: She is my friend. (She and friend are the same person. Friend renames the subject and is the predicate nominative (or noun).)
Ex.: She is pretty. (Pretty describes the subject and is the predicate adjective.)
The direct object receives the action of the verb.
Ex.: Tom threw the ball. (Tom threw who or what? the ball)
The indirect object is just that, indirect, and so it doesn't receive the action.
Ex.: My mother gave me a gift. (Gift is the object. Me is the indirect object. To clarify any confusion, ask: Who or what was given? the gift. Mother didn't give "me" to anyone; she gave the gift.
