An adverb isn't usually the complement of a linking verb.  I think 'only
recently' is an adverb modifying the whole sentence.  The complement is
the clause beginning with that.

Janet castilljea

-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Cornwell
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 2:19 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Only Recently

Hi there,

I teach in Japan and a question has recently come up regarding the
following sentence: "But it is only recently that we have had the
appropriate equipment to help us see the brain during moments of
religious activity."

A Japanese colleague has told me that she learned "It is" can be
followed by an adjective but not an adverb and wondered why the sentence
above, with "only recently," is considered correct (by native speakers
of English).

Can anyone shed some light on this?

thanks,
steve c.

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