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COMPLEMENTS
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Complements
•
A complement is a word or group of
words that completes the meaning
begun by the subject and verb
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Complements
•
Example
–
Snow blanketed the sidewalk.
•
•
•
•
•
Snow (subject)
Blanketed (verb)
Sidewalk (complement)
If we just had the subject and the verb
(snow blanketed), the sentence would be
incomplete.
The complement tells us what was
blanketed by the snow.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Complements
•
Like the subject of a sentence, a
complement is never part of a
prepositional phrase.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Complements
•
Example
–
He ate one of the sandwiches.
• The complement is one, not
sandwiches; sandwiches is part of
the prepositional phrase
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Complements
•
•
An adverb modifying a verb is not a
complement.
Complements may be nouns,
pronouns, or adjectives.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Complements
•
Example
–
She plays hard.
•
–
Hard is an adverb, modifying how she plays
and is therefore not a complement.
The baseball is hard.
•
Hard, here an adjective, is a complement.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
The Subject Complement
•
A subject complement is a noun,
pronoun, or adjective that follows a
linking verb. It identifies, describes,
or explains the subject.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
The Subject Complement
•
Examples
–
Jim is a good student.
•
–
Student identifies the subject, Jim.
Lisa is humble.
•
Humble identifies the subject, Lisa
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Types of Subject Complements
•
Predicate Nominative
–
•
If the subject complement is a noun or
pronoun, it is a predicate nominative
Predicate Adjective
–
If the subject complement is an
adjective, it is called a predicate
adjective
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Types of Subject Complements
•
Examples
–
Jim is a good student.
•
–
student is a noun and therefore a predicate
nominative
Lisa is humble.
•
humble is an adjective and therefore a
predicate adjective
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Distinguishing Between
Subject and Complement
•
When the sentence is not composed
in the traditional order (Subject +
Verb+ Complement), it may be
difficult to tell the subject from the
complement
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Distinguishing Between
Subject and Complement
•
Verb + Subject + Complement
–
Was he the donor of the organs?
• Was—Verb
• He—Subject
• Donor—Complement
• Usually, the subject comes before the
complement.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Distinguishing Between
Subject and Complement
•
Complement Coming First
–
How strange is life!
• Strange—Complement
• Is—Verb
• Life—Subject
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Distinguishing Between
Subject and Complement
•
Helpful Hint
–
–
Consider which word is more likely to
be the subject of the sentence
Use common sense!
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Assignment
•
Please rewrite the following
sentences. For each sentence,
underline the simple subject one
time; underline the simple predicate
two times; and circle the subject
complement. Finally, identify the
subject complement as predicate
nominate (PN) or predicate adjective
(PA).
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Assignment
1.
2.
3.
4.
Are those girls your cousins?
How friendly everyone seems!
Ginger is a superb athlete.
The Canterbury Tales is a great
poem.
5. How bright the stars seem tonight.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements
Assignment
6.
7.
8.
9.
What a fine cook your mother is!
When does a house become a home?
Our dog is usually friendly.
Mr. Thomas was a teacher of
extraordinary dedication.
10. Borat is a great movie.
Geschke--English IV
Grammar Unit--Complements