Download Study Guide for Complements Test

Study Guide for Complements Test
Key Terms to Know
Direct object
Indirect object
Predicate nominative
Predicate adjective
Steps for Finding a Direct Object
1. Find the subject.
2. Find the verb. Determine if it’s action or linking.
3. If it’s an action verb, ask “who” or “what” after the
subject and verb.
4. The answer is the direct object.
Example
The dog carried the bone to its owner.
Step 1: What is the subject? Dog
Step 2: What is the verb? Carried
Is it an action verb? Yes
Step 3: The dog carried what? Bone
Answer: Bone is the direct object.
Steps for Finding an Indirect Object
1. Find the subject.
2. Find the verb. Determine if it’s action or linking.
3. If it’s an action verb, find the direct object by asking
“who” or “what” after the subject and verb.
4. Next ask “to who or what” or “for who or what”.
5. The answer is the indirect object.
Example
The student gave her teacher the assignment that was
due yesterday.
Step 1: What is the subject? Student
Step 2: What is the verb? Gave
Is it an action verb? Yes
Step 3: The student gave what? Assignment (So
assignment is the direct object.)
Step 4: The student gave the assignment to who?
Teacher
Answer: Teacher is the indirect object.
Steps for finding a Predicate Nominative
or Predicate Adjective
1. Find the subject.
2. Find the verb. Determine if it’s action or linking.
3. If the verb is linking, find the word that renames or
identifies the subject OR the word that describes the
subject.
4. If the word is renaming or identifying the subject
and it’s a noun or pronoun, it is a predicate
nominative. If the word is describing the subject and
it’s an adjective, it is a predicate adjective.
Example
The baby is cranky.
Step 1: What is the subject? Baby
Step 2: What is the verb? Is
Is it action or linking? Linking
Step 3: What word is renaming or describing the
subject? Cranky
Step 4: Is it a noun, pronoun, or adjective? Adjective
Answer: Cranky is the predicate adjective.
The baby is a boy.
Step 1: What is the subject? Baby
Step 2: What is the verb? Is
Is it action or linking? Linking
Step 3: What word is renaming or describing the
subject? Boy
Step 4: Is it a noun, pronoun, or adjective? Noun
Answer: Boy is the predicate nominative.
Things to Remember
 Direct and indirect objects follow action verbs.
 Indirect objects always come between the action
verb and the direct object.
 There cannot be an indirect object without a
direct object.
 There can be a direct object without an indirect
object.
 Predicate nominatives and adjectives follow
linking verbs.
 Predicate nominatives can be tested by replacing
the linking verb with an equal sign. The words
should be referring to the same noun or pronoun
in that sentence. (ex. Baby = Boy in the example
above)
 Predicate adjectives always describe the subject.
(ex. Cranky describes the subject baby in the
example above)
 Complements are never in a prepositional
phrase.