In the sentence “Practice makes perfect,” what part of speech is “perfect”?

If it’s an adjective, what is it modifying?

It’s a direct object

My guess is that it’s idiomatic, so even though perfect cannot generally function as a noun, this would be an exception.

Ask the question what after a verb, and this is your direct object.

What did practive make? Perfect.

Remember, adjectives only modify nouns, so if a word clearly doesn’t modify a noun, then it is not an adjective.

Practice makes perfect

Perfect can’t be a direct object because it’s an adjective. I agree with Eddie that the expression is idiomatic, but I would also say that it’s an idiomatic version of “practice makes [things, everything, or something similar] perfect.” In that case, perfect would be an object complement.

Perfect can’t be a direct object because it’s an adjective.

Yes, but I assumed it changed part of speech to a noun, as some idioms do.

practice makes [things, everything, or something similar] perfect.” In that case, perfect would be an object complement.

That makes sense. But I’ve never heard the so called ‘implied’ word included. And you have always advocated that sentences are not reduced; that is, it’s done in the mind.

Perhaps to reach a conclusion, we will have to learn the origins of the idiom.

Eddie88 - 15 August 2009 04:55 PM

It’s a direct object

Nah.

saparris - 15 August 2009 08:03 PM

Practice makes perfect

Perfect can’t be a direct object because it’s an adjective. I agree with Eddie that the expression is idiomatic, but I would also say that it’s an idiomatic version of “practice makes [things, everything, or something similar] perfect.” In that case, perfect would be an object complement.

That’s what I think too.

“Practice makes [you] perfect” or “Practice makes [your work] perfect
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(anxiously)   Junior members get to give their opinions too, right?

I understand that their opinions are universally acknowledged to be dumb—Yes,  okay, I can get with that.

But we are allowed to at least give them, right?

Or not?

I just don’t think the implied word ever existed, so I don’t see it as an adjective.

Idioms often change part of speech, even though I know perfect is usually an adjective.

So I’ll stick to my guns until proved otherwise.

Eddie88 - 16 August 2009 06:05 AM

I just don’t think the implied word ever existed, so I don’t see it as an adjective.

Idioms often change part of speech, even though I know perfect is usually an adjective.

So I’ll stick to my guns until proved otherwise.

Then the expression would have said< “Practice makes perfection.”

This would no longer be an idiom.

This is what I think:

The phrase began as Saparris mentioned.

Practice makes something perfect.

However, over time, the phrase was reduced (inevitibly), as the DO is clear when two people are talking. Now we have an idiom phrase, with ‘perfect’ taking the place of the noun, rather than being an adjective modifying a noun, as you think.

Generally, idioms are phrases consisting of words that are typically not their usual part of speech.

an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/idiom

Practice makes perfect

We need to solve this problem quickly. Perfect just e-mailed me and is having an identity crisis.

“I just want be perfect,” she said, “but right now I feel like such an idiom!”

Eddie88 - 16 August 2009 07:01 AM

This would no longer be an idiom.

This is what I think:

The phrase began as Saparris mentioned.

Practice makes something perfect.

However, over time, the phrase was reduced (inevitibly), as the DO is clear when two people are talking. Now we have an idiom phrase, with ‘perfect’ taking the place of the noun, rather than being an adjective modifying a noun, as you think.

Generally, idioms are phrases consisting of words that are typically not their usual part of speech.

an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/idiom

This definition does not imply that the words of an idiom change their parts of speech.  It just means that which is the case for idioms—their meanings are not the same as the literal meanings of their words.

“I fell out of a cloud” is a French idiom meaning “I was surprised.”  No falling.  No clouds. 
But every word retains its ordinary GRAMMATICAL role.

I don’t think “Practice makes perfect” is an idiom anyway.  A word-for-word translation into a foreign language would render its meaning pretty well. 

That’s why the dictionary defines an idiom as an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements

So if you say “kick the bucket” and there’s no damn kicking and no damn bucket—that’s an idiom.

If you say, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” that’s an adage.

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Is this too easy for a Trivia question?  What novel is this from:  “No damn cat!  No damn cradle!”

Eddie: neat new avatar.

Thanks, Luke. I saw many other globes on the net, most showing the northern hemisphere, near where I think the U.S. is located. The U.S. is the big patch of ice at the top where all the polar beers play, right?

Before I tackle Cosmic’s post, I must be off to sleep. It’s late here, very late.

No damn cat!  No damn cradle

It’s from Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut, who recently kicked the bucket.

Newt Hoenikker said it.

Eddie88 - 16 August 2009 08:13 AM

Thanks, Luke. I saw many other globes on the net, most showing the northern hemisphere, near where I think the U.S. is located. The U.S. is the big patch of ice at the top where all the polar beers play, right?

Before I tackle Cosmic’s post, I must be off to sleep. It’s late here, very late.

Certainly is.  Polar Beers and all other kinds,  especially with football season starting, beer is all Americans drink.