Download MORE ON COMPLEMENTS

MORE ON COMPLEMENTS
Essentially, you need to remember this:
Complements are functional “parts” of sentences
– just as objects and subjects are. They
“complete” various other structures.
They “complete” verbs and adjectives and
subjects and objects.
Adjective and verb complements consist of a
basic structure: prepositional complement plus
object. The object is a noun phrase.
So far we have studied subject and object
complements as adjective phrases, but as you
should have seen from the book and the disk,
subject and object complements can also be
noun phrases.
I. More about verb complements
Example: A verb complement: To comply (with)
The unhappy taxpayer complied with the tax regulations.
A. Test for this by:
1. Making a “what question” with the noun phrase that is the
object of the preposition “with” as the answer: the tax
regulations.
What did the unhappy taxpayer comply with?
Check: If you are unable to remove the “with” from the
question, you have a complement.
**What did the unhappy taxpayer comply?
Check: If you are unable to make a “where” “how” “when”
“why” type question with the whole phrase as the answer,
you have a complement.
**Where d id the unhappy taxpayer comply?
**How . . .
**When. . .
** Why . . .
2. Contrast this with a “regular” adverbial
prepositional phrase. In a “regular” (noncomplement) structure, you should be able to
make a “where” “how” “when” “why” question
and subsume the WHOLE prepositional phrase
into the answer.
The unhappy taxpayer filled out the form in a
hurry.
How did the unhappy taxpayer fill out the form?
In a hurry.
The unhappy taxpayer sent his return and his
check to an office in Fresno.
Where did the unhappy taxpayer send his return
and his check? To an office in Fresno.
B. Two common verb complement patterns:
1. Verb immediately followed by prepositional
complement + object of prepositional
complement.
The unhappy taxpayer complied with the law.
2. Verb immediately followed by an object and
then the prepositional complement and its
object.
The agent provided him with a form.
II. Other types of complements
Two often-connected complements are
subject complements and adjective
complements.
A. Subject complements are adjective
phrases (an adjective and all its assorted
modifiers) that follow linking verbs. All of
the following underlined adjective phrases
are subject complements.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The taxpayer was afraid of the IRS.
The IRS seemed really scary.
The return appeared too simple.
His accountant was furious at him.
His wife was also furious with him.
B. Adjective complements are part of
adjective phrases. They happen when an
adjective “triggers” a specific following
preposition: afraid of, furious at, furious
with.
C. Object complements are also adjective phrases.
They happen when an adjective phrase follows and
modifies the object of a verb.
1. The IRS agent considered him very guilty .
2. His wife found him totally useless.
III. NOUN PHRASES as subject and object
complements.
If you’ve been reading the book and looking at the
disk, you’ll see that we can also have subject and
object complements that are noun phrases. Here are
some examples:
A. Noun phrase subject complements after linking
verbs.
The man is an idiot.
B. Noun phrase object complements – after the direct
object of a noun.
Often there is an implied “to be” linking these.
The agent considered the man a total fool.
Complete Sentence Breakdowns
1. My incredibly energetic, very winsome
dog has chewed that smelly bone raw.
2. That demonstrator is protesting against
the war in Iraq.
3. She grew disgusted with his politics.
4. The agent called him a liar.