This archive report was first published on 2 December 2019.
The Grammar of Allegiance ¶
As we navigate the complex world of Kenyan politics, it's easy to get caught up in the rhetoric of allegiance and loyalty. But have you ever stopped to think about what it means to be a subject or object in English grammar?
According to the dictionary, a turncoat is 'a person who deserts one party or cause in order to join an opposing one.' Last week, we saw individuals change their positions on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) faster than we could notice the transition.
But what does it mean to be a subject or object in English grammar? To answer this question, let's start with the basics. In a sentence, the subject is the giver of action, while the object is the receiver. For example, in the sentence 'Mr Murkomen was visibly agitated when he spoke during the launch of the BBI report at the Bomas of Kenya last week,' 'Murkomen' is the subject, while 'delegates' is the object.
However, subjects and objects are not limited to nouns. They can also be noun phrases or pronouns. For instance, in the sentence 'The Elgeyo Marakwet Senator was visibly agitated when he spoke during the launch of the BBI report at the Bomas of Kenya last week,' 'The Elgeyo Marakwet Senator' is a noun phrase that serves as the subject.
But what about pronouns? Pronouns like 'he,' 'she,' and 'they' can also serve as subjects or objects. For example, in the sentence 'He was visibly agitated when he spoke during the launch of the BBI report at the Bomas of Kenya last week,' 'he' is a pronoun that serves as the subject.
So, how do we determine whether a word or phrase is a subject or object? The answer lies in the verb. In a sentence, the subject is the word or phrase that comes before the verb, while the object is the word or phrase that comes after the verb. For example, in the sentence 'Some delegates shouted at the senator,' 'delegates' is the subject, while 'senator' is the object.
But what about compound subjects? When two or more words or phrases are linked by the word 'and,' they create a compound subject. For example, in the sentence 'President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga received the BBI report from the task force last week in a brief ceremony at State House,' 'President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga' are compound subjects.
So, the next time you're navigating the complex world of Kenyan politics, remember that subjects and objects are not just limited to nouns. They can also be noun phrases or pronouns, and they can serve as either the giver or receiver of action in a sentence.
