2.7 Attributes

Attributes are words that function the same way as adjectives, but usually they come in the first position, that is, before the noun. While regular adjectives are found in the predicate, attributes do not need a verb to link them to the noun they're modifying. Adjectives are not the only parts of seech that can serve as attributes. Participles, pronouns, partitives, and other nouns can function the same way. 

In this quote, Roger Sterling is giving us three examples of attributes. The first one is the avocado people, he's referring to the people who work in the avocado business.

 In the main sentence (see what i did there?), he's using the superlative biggest to modify the noun job. 

Roger's job in these meetings is to keep the clients from saying "golly" too many times. These is the demonstrative pronoun modifying the noun meetings. 

 Gene is Sally's little brother. The noun baby modifies the proper noun Gene.

Here, Don is using a possesive pronoun, Our, and another superlative, worst, to describe the noun fears.

Here, the quantifier Every, appears before the noun generation. 

Sources: http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/attribadjterm.htm
              http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/adjectiv/attribut.htm

2.6 Subject Complement

A subject complement is a word or phrase that describes or renames the subject of a sentence. It follows a linking verb. It is also called a predicate nominative.

The most common linking verb in the English language is be, but verbs like appear, become, seem, feel, get, look, and sound are very common, too.

In this song, Bert Cooper is describing the way the best things in life are.

The main difference between a Subject Complement and an Object is that the former is not introducing any new elements to the sentence, the way the object does, but rather adding information about the subject.

2.5 Adverbials

We use adverbials to give more information about the verb. An adverbial can be an adverb (single word), an adverb with an intensifier (adverbial phrase), or a phrase with a preposition (or adverbial clause). The adverbial modifies the verb, in some cases even the whole sentence, and it can appear in almost any position in a sentence. 

In the sentence The TV is always on, Peggy is using the adverb always to describe the way the TV is in the average American home during the sixties. 
In the second sentence, Vietnam playing in the background, the prepositional phrase in the background is functioning as an adverbial clause.

We often use phrases with like as adverbials of manner:

With the phrase like you were friends with me, Sally is describing the way the doctor acted.

When an adverb is accompanied by a modifier or qualifier, it functions as the head of an adverbial phrase.

In the sentence You want it so badly, Don uses the adverb badly (adjective + -ly) with the 

qualifier so. Together they function as the adverbial phrase of the sentence.

2.4 Indirect Object

An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that indicates to whom or for whom the action of the verb is performed. The indirect object appears immediately after the verb and before the direct object.

Mr. Rumsen (s) is presenting (v) my copy (indirect object) today to the Belle Jolie people (d/o). 

Burt Peterson (s) told (v) me (i/o) you were the one person in the agency i shouldn't cross.

Source: http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/indirobjterm.htm

2.3 Direct Object

In English grammar, a direct object is a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that identifies what or who receives the action of a transitive verb in a sentence.

I (s) just wanna eat (v) dinner (direct obect).

When we use a pronoun as a direct object, it takes the form of the objective case, which means we use the pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom, whomever, and what.

Megan (s) bought (v) it (d/o, objective case) for you (indirect object). 

Source: http://grammar.about.com/od/d/g/dirobjecterm.htm 

2.2 Predicate

The predicate is one of the two main parts of the sentence (the other one being the subject). It's purpose is to make an assertion or a denial about the subject. In other words, the predicate is what is said about the subject. 

• A predicate may be just a single word, the verb:

Who (s) cares (p)?

• It may be a group of words made up of a main verb and helping verbs:

He (subject) would (helping verb) die (main verb).

• And it may also be a complete verb phrase, which is a main verb and all the other words related to it, except the subject.

My mother (s) raised me to be admired (verb phrase = predicate).


Source: http://grammar.about.com/od/grammarfaq/a/What-Is-A-Predicate.htm 

2.1 Subject

In English grammar, a subject is one of the two main parts of a sentence (the other main part being the predicate). It is the part of the sentence or clause that tells what it is about, or who/what is performing the action (this is called the agent). A subject is almost always a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun.

• In a declarative sentence (see post 1.2.1), the subject comes before the verb:

Lee Garner Jr. (proper noun subject) made me (verb) hold his balls (eww!).

• In an intrrogative sentence, the subject comes after the verb:

Is (v) she (pronoun subject) your girlfriend?

• There are exceptions to these common subjects:

Compound subjects are made up of two or more simple subjects joined by a coordinating conjunction (see post 1.2 sentence structure) and share the same predicate.

Miss Calvet and I (proper noun + cc + pronoun = compound subject) are (v) getting married.

An agent is the subject of a sentence formed in the active voice: 

Here to tell that story is (v) Peggy Olson (agent, the one that performs the action).

In a sentence in the passive voice, the agent is the object of a preposition, and the direct object becomes a patient subject:

What you call love (patient subject) was invented (v) by (preposition) guys like me (agent object).
If we flipped this sentence into the active voice, it would read something like this:

Guys like me (agent subject) invented (v) what you call love (patient object).

• If we have no other subject, we use "there" or "it" as a subject, this is called a dummy subject:

Source: http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/subject.htm