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Difficulty: MediumNouns and Noun Phrases

Read the sentence below:

"Despite the persistent opposition from critics, the proposed reform remains a monumental milestone in environmental governance."

In the sentence above, what is the syntactic function of the bolded noun phrase?

  1. Subject complementAnswer
  2. B
    Direct object
  3. C
    Appositive noun phrase
  4. D
    Object complement

Answer

Subject complement
The phrase 'a monumental milestone in environmental governance' functions as a subject complement because it follows the copular (linking) verb 'remains' and completes the meaning of the sentence by describing the subject 'the proposed reform'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the verb in the main clause and its classification
The main verb is 'remains', which functions as a linking (copular) verb connecting the subject to its state or identity.
Linking verbs do not take direct objects; instead, they take complements that describe or rename the subject.
2
Identify the subject of the clause
The subject is 'the proposed reform'.
This is the noun phrase performing the state of being expressed by the verb.
3
Determine the relationship between the subject, linking verb, and bolded noun phrase
The bolded phrase 'a monumental milestone in environmental governance' renames and characterizes the subject ('the proposed reform') following the linking verb 'remains'.
A noun phrase following a linking verb that renames or defines the subject is syntactically a subject complement.

Key Concept

Syntactic Functions of Noun Phrases: Subject Complement
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Topics

Nouns and Noun Phrases

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