If I remember my english properly, the "object of the verb" 'to be' is
called the "predicate nominative". This may be an arcaic term, but it is
the one that I remember. Since there can only be 'one' nominative case
(subject) in a sentence (even in the plural, there is only one subject. The
plural is one unit made of many parts combined by using conjunction/s), and
since the verb 'to be' does not transfer action, this is the means to use
two nominative cases in the sentence. In English, the verb 'to be' is
considered a stative verb (intransitive) and the only verb to use a
'predicat nominative'. Transitive verbs are the only verbs that can take
an object, they transfer an action to another nomial (noun or pronoun). It
is usually best, just to think of the verb 'to be' as weird and treat it as
strange.

In frith,
-Tim Elario

----- Original Message -----
From: "Deep Stream" <DeepStream@...>
To: <norse_course@egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 4:58 AM
Subject: RE: [norse_course] Solutions to lesson one


> Hi Lynda,
>
> --- Lynda Maynard <lyndamaynard@...> wrote:
> > I'm not positive about the cases, but in the
> > sentences "This is she" and
> > "that was nothing." the words 'this' and 'that'
> > are definitely pronouns. And
>
> Demonstrative Pronouns. But we haven't had any of
> those yet, have we?
>
> > even though we lazy Americans usually say "this
> > is her", it is improper
> > usage and "This is she" is actually correct
> > grammatically.
>
> Yes, as noted in lesson one, both the pronouns in
> "This is she" are "compliments". Or is "this" the
> subject and "she" the compliment? Doesn't matter
> in Old Norse, as the verb "to be" is defined as
> taking *two* "nominatives" - thus both words
> would be in the nominative, regardless of which
> one an English speaker would call the Subject
> and which one the Compliment.