transitive verbs, predicates, and absolute phrases

1. In a grammar exercise, I have to indicate the action verb an the word that receives the action. In the sentence, "The nickname "Honest Abe described Lilcoln's character." Is the the word that receives the action "Lilcoln's character" or just "character"?
2. In order to have a transitive verb, do you have to have the receiver of the action located after the transitive verb? Is this a rule?
3. In a grammar exercise you have to indicate the word in the prediacate that is linked to te subject. In the sentence, "The mission field is getting more & more difficult for many missionaries."
is the word in the predicate linked to the subject "more difficult" or just "difficult?"
4. How do I explain to my students how to identify the absolute phrase in a sentence, especially when the exercise calls for them to identify it from long sentences of novelists such as James Joyce?

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by mas94010

1. In a grammar exercise, I have to indicate the action verb an the word that receives the action. In the sentence, "The nickname "Honest Abe described Lilcoln's character." Is the the word that receives the action "Lilcoln's character" or just "character"?
2. In order to have a transitive verb, do you have to have the receiver of the action located after the transitive verb? Is this a rule?
3. In a grammar exercise you have to indicate the word in the prediacate that is linked to te subject. In the sentence, "The mission field is getting more & more difficult for many missionaries."
is the word in the predicate linked to the subject "more difficult" or just "difficult?"
4. How do I explain to my students how to identify the absolute phrase in a sentence, especially when the exercise calls for them to identify it from long sentences of novelists such as James Joyce?

1 I'd say it's 'Lincoln's character'- i don't see why it has to be a single word.
2 The normal position for the object is after the verb.
3 The key word is difficult- the more and more just modifies it- you could remove more and more, but not difficult.
4 I have to confess that I can't answer this. I wouldn't give anyone lengthy sentences from James Joyce unless they really wanted them.