Subject Attribute and Verb Types

Overview

This lecture explains the concept of the subject attribute (attribute of the subject) in sentences, focusing on its relationship with state verbs and its agreement with the subject.

State Verbs vs. Action Verbs

• Action verbs express what the subject does (an action).
• State verbs express what the subject is or seems (a state of being).
• Common state verbs include: être (to be), sembler (to seem), paraître (to appear), rester (to remain).
• Some expressions like "avoir l'air" (to look/seem) also function as state verbs.
• State verbs can often be replaced with "être" (to be).

Subject Attribute (Attribut du Sujet)

• The subject attribute appears only after state verbs.
• It can be an adjective or a noun phrase.
• When the attribute is an adjective, it agrees in gender and number with the subject.
• Example: "Ces renards semblent rusés" (These foxes seem sly) – "rusés" agrees with "renards" (masculine, plural).
• Example: "Ces voitures paraissent neuves" (These cars appear new) – "neuves" agrees with "voitures" (feminine, plural).
• When the attribute is a noun phrase, it must match the subject's gender and number.
• Example: "Cet homme est un ancien officier" (This man is a former officer).

Difference from Direct Object Complement

• The direct object complement follows action verbs.
• In sentences with action verbs, there are usually two entities (subject and object).
• Example: "Le promeneur salue le pêcheur" (The walker greets the fisherman): "le pêcheur" is the direct object.
• The subject attribute only follows state verbs and describes the subject, not a direct object.

Key Terms & Definitions

• State verb — A verb describing a state or condition of the subject, often replaceable with "être".
• Action verb — A verb indicating an action performed by the subject.
• Subject attribute (attribut du sujet) — An adjective or noun phrase after a state verb that describes the subject and agrees in gender and number.
• Direct object complement — A noun or pronoun that receives the action of an action verb.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Practice identifying state verbs and subject attributes in sentences.
• Complete any assigned readings on verb types and sentence structure.