Complements

In this lesson, master complements, which are essential parts of a sentence that complete the meaning of a verb. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.

adjective complements complements noun complements verb complements

What Are Complements?

A complement is a word, phrase, or clause that completes the meaning of a clause or sentence by providing necessary information about a subject, verb, or object.

Complement: Major Types

There are three major types of complements:

Verb Complements

There are different classes of verb complements, their usage depending on the type of verb. Transitive verbs take direct objects, ditransitive take both direct and indirect object. In each case, an object of preposition can be used instead of direct or indirect objects. Linking verbs, on the other hand, take subject complements and complex transitive take a direct object or object of preposition together with an object complement. Each of these types of verbs complements will be discusses in more details in the following.

Direct Objects

Direct objects complements transitive verbs by specifying the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. Direct objects can come in a variety of forms:

Pronouns: Object pronouns are the most common type of pronouns used as direct objects, but not the only one.

I saw her at the park.

object pronoun

He doesn't need these.

demonstrative pronoun used as direct object

Noun phrases: A noun phrase might consist of a single noun or a noun and one or more modifiers and follow the main verb to act as a direct object.

We watched an exciting movie.

I saw Karen today.

Noun clauses: That-clauses, nominal relative clauses, present participle clauses, and infinitive clauses can act as direct objects.

She said that the meeting was canceled.

that-clause

We will support whoever wins the election.

nominal relative clause

Indirect Objects

Indirect object are used with ditransitive verbs which need two objects to convey a complete meaning. They are always used with a direct object and are indirectly affected by the action of the verb. Like direct objects, they come in different forms:

Pronouns: Here too, object pronouns are the most widely used type of pronouns, but not the only ones.

I gave them the key to my apartment.

Here, "the key to my apartment" is the direct object and "them" is the indirect object.

She told everyone the truth.

an indefinite pronoun

Noun phrases: A single noun or a noun with its modifiers can act as indirect object.

I wrote my sister a letter.

I asked Jim a question.

Noun clauses: The variety of noun clauses that can act as indirect objects is more limited compared to direct objects and only nominal relative clauses and present participle clauses can act as indirect objects.

She showed whoever was interested her new design.

nominal relative clause

We gave travelling the world some thought.

Object of Preposition

Objects of prepositions are pronouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses that need a preposition to connect to the verb. They can be used in both direct and indirect object positions. The preposition is typically determiner by the verb.

Pronouns: Like direct and indirect objects, mainly object pronoun follow prepositions.

She looked at him with concern.

They were talking about us for hours.

Noun phrases: A single noun or a noun and its modifiers can follow the preposition to complement the verb.

He insisted on the controversial decision.

He focused on work.

Noun clauses: Nominal relative clauses and present participles can act as objects of prepositions.

She asked about what happened yesterday.

He was thinking of leaving his hometown.

Subject Complements

A subject complement is a word or group of words in a sentence that provides necessary information about the subject and often follows a linking verb (e.g. be, seem, become, etc.).

Rex is a dentist.

'Rex' is the subject, 'is' is the linking verb, and the noun 'a dentist' is the subject complement. It gives us information about the subject.

Mike was sad.

Mike is the subject, 'was' is the linking verb, and the adjective 'sad' is the subject complement.

A subject complement can come in different forms:

Noun phrases: Nouns normally rename, describe, or identify the subject and appear after a linking verb. If the noun is accompanied by any modifiers such as determiners or prepositional phrases, the entire noun phrase acts as a subject complement. Take a look at the examples:

Life is a blessing.

Pinocchio looked like a real boy.

Pronouns: When the identity of the subject is unknown or being explained, it is common to use a pronoun as the subject complement instead of a noun. This is particularly common in questions and responses. For example:

'Who is it?' 'It's me!'

Adjectives:These are adjectives that appear after a linking verb and provide information about the subject of a clause. For example:

You seem nice.

The book was useful.

Adverb phrases: Sometimes, we can use adverb phrases after certain verbs to describe the subject. But, if you can take the adverb out of the sentence, and it still makes sense, then it is not a subject complement. Here is an example:

The pen is in the backpack.

I am across the street.

The cat is under the table.

Noun clauses: Noun clauses can serve as subject complements, which follow linking verbs. For example:

Her fear is that the plane might crash during the storm.

The question is how do we get out of this mess now.

The rumor is that the company is going bankrupt.

Object Complements

An object complement is a word or group of words that follows and describes or renames a direct object in a sentence. It provides additional information about the direct object. For example:

He makes me mad.

Here, 'me' is the direct object of the verb 'make', and the adjective 'mad' is the object complement that completes the meaning.

Object complements can appear in different forms:

Noun and noun phrases: We use nouns and noun phrases as object complements when the sentence has a factitive verb such as elect, appoint, make, choose, deem, assign, name, select, vote and etc. Factitive verbs are used to indicate the result or state of the object after the action of the verb. For example:

We named our son Alan.

They voted him the best actor for his latest movie.

Adverbs and adverb phrases: Adverbs of place can serve as complements to direct objects. For example:

Johnny put the turkey in the oven.

They sent him home.

using a complement in a sentence

Adjectives and Adjective Phrases: Adjectives or adjective phrases can modify or describe the direct object of a sentence. However, as with all object complements, these adjectives must immediately follow the direct object they are modifying. If they are placed before the direct object, they are acting as attributive adjectives and are not necessary to complete the meaning of the sentence. Pay attention to some examples:

I want to make my friend happy.

It got me worried sick!

Prepositional phrases: A prepositional phrase can also be used to complement the direct object. Have a look:

She had a fear of heights.

I always consider myself above others.

Adjective Complements

An adjective complement, also known as an adjective phrase complement, is a phrase or clause that provides essential information to complete the meaning of the adjective. Adjective complements can take the form of prepositional phrases and to-infinitives, or noun clauses:

Prepositional Phrases: A prepositional phrase indicates the relationship between the adjective it complements and the object of the preposition. Pay attention to the examples:

She is afraid of spiders.

He is interested in science.

To-infinitive clause: They provide additional information about the actions or behaviors that result in the adjective they are complementing. For example:

I am very pleased to meet you.

I am really honored to be of service.

Noun Clauses: Noun Clauses are dependent clauses that function similarly to a noun. They serve to connect the meaning of the adjective to an action performed by a secondary subject. Take a look at the examples:

We were a little curious why they decided to leave.

We are so excited that Martin is coming to stay with us for the summer.

Noun complements

Some words can serve as complements to nouns, typically appearing immediately after the noun they complement. They add extra information to a noun to clarify or complete its meaning. Noun complements usually appear in three forms, which are:

Prepositional phrases: A prepositional phrase which serves as a noun complement usually appear after words that specify quantity. These complements are necessary. Almost all the meaning in the noun phrase comes from the complement, not the head noun. For example:

She bought a bunch of flowers.

As you can see, "bunch" always needs a complement to clarify its meaning.

There was a passel of kids at the park.

That-clauses: a that-clause that serves as a noun complement usually comes directly after certain nouns. These nouns can be reporting nouns such as comment, remark, speech, claim or abstract nouns like idea, fact and reason. For example:

His comment that the movie was a masterpiece resonated with the audience.

Her remark that the weather was unpredictable proved to be accurate.

The fact that you don't remember my name bothers me a lot.

To-infinitive clauses: A to-infinitive clause can be used as a noun complement to talk about the aim or intention behind the noun. For example:

Their plan to renovate the old house is ambitious.

The agreement to start the project made everyone happy.

Subject Complements vs. Objects

Subject complements and objects have similar functions in a sentence, but the difference lies in the verb used. To understand this difference, it is important to first discuss the distinction between action verbs and linking verbs:

Action verbs are used when the subject performs an action, and the object receives the action. The subject of the sentence answers the question 'who' or 'what' is performing the action. For example:

She ate the cake.

They play soccer.

Linking verbs such as be, become, taste, look and feel are used to connect the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which provides additional information about the subject. Unlike action verbs, linking verbs do not express an action performed by the subject, but describe the subject. For example:

She is a doctor.

He became tired.

The cake looks delicious.

They feel excited about the upcoming trip.

The cake tasted fantastic.

Complement vs. Adjunct

Adjuncts are optional, and add extra information to the clause. Complements, on the other hand, are essential in order to complete the meaning of the clause.
If an element cannot be removed from the sentence without affecting its meaning, it is likely to be a complement. For example:

Johnny put the turkey in the oven.

'Put' is a verb that requires a complement. Without the complement, the clause would not be complete.

I usually go camping on the weekends.

'On the weekends' is an adjunct. It is not essential to complete the meaning of the verb 'go.'

Review

'Complements' are parts of a sentence that give more essential information. It means they cannot be removed from the sentence because it impairs the meaning. There are many types of complements that we discussed in the article:

	Noun	Adjective	That-clause	Prepositional phrase	Noun clause	To-infinitive	Adverb	Pronoun
Direct object	✓	✘	✓	✓	✓	✓	✘	✓
Indirect object	✓	✘	✘	✓	✓	✘	✘	✓
Object of preposition	✓	✘	✘	✘	✓	✘	✘	✓
Subject complement	✓	✓	✓	✘	✓	✘	✓	✓
Object complement	✓	✓	✘	✘	✘	✘	✓	✘
Adjective complement	✘	✘	✘	✓	✓	✓	✘	✘
Noun complement	✘	✘	✓	✓	✘	✓	✘	✘

Quiz:

Sort the words to form a sentence that uses both an indirect object and a direct object.

students

his

research

assigned

professor

project

martin

complex

What is the object complement in this sentence? "The children painted the old shed bright yellow."

The children

the old shed

bright yellow

painted

Match each complement type with the corresponding example sentence.

Elena crafted a beautiful vase.

The teacher offered her students extra credit.

The critic declared the novel a masterpiece.

The solution remains elusive.

Marcos is hesitant to volunteer for the project.

Subject Complement

Adjective Complement

Direct Object

Direct Object + Object Complement

Indirect + Direct Object

Fill each blanks with the word that best fits the sentence.

The artist painted

She handed

the keys.

The board named him

The weather seems

Her decision

shocked everyone.

a masterpiece

her friend

CEO

sunny

to resign

Which sentence does not include a complement?

Sarah looked tired.

I prepared food.

He ran quickly.

They announced the winner.

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What Are Complements?
Subject Complements vs. Objects
Review

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Subjects

In English grammar, the subject of a clause is the noun referring to the person or thing that is doing the action of the verb. We will learn all about it here.