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Complements
A complement is a word or word group that completes the meaning of a
subject-verb unit. (*Sentences do not need to contain complements.)
Types
- Object Complements (used with action verbs)
- direct object
- indirect object (There must already be a direct object.)
- Subject Complements (used with linking verbs)
- Predicate Nominative (noun or pronoun)
- Predicate Adjective (adjective)
*Complements are never in prepositional phrases.
Five Basic Patterns
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Subject – Verb
Subject – Action Verb – Direct Object
Subject – Action Verb – Indirect Object – Direct Object
Subject – Linking Verb – Predicate Nominative
Subject – Linking Verb – Predicate Adjective
To find a direct object, ask whom or what after finding the subject and verb.
To find the indirect object, first find the subject, verb, and direct object, and
then ask to whom or to what or for whom or for what.
*The indirect object is located between the verb and direct object.
A predicate nominative is the same as a direct object, except the verb is a
linking verb (be or sense group word).
A predicate adjective is an adjective in the predicate part of the sentence that
describes the subject (and only the subject).