Sign inSubject Complements for intermediate learners
Subject complements are placed after linking verbs. Follow the article to learn more about them.
What Are Subject Complements?
Subject complements, also known as predicative adjectives, are used after linking verbs like 'be', 'become', 'appear', 'taste', etc. to describe the subject. Subject complements are necessary for the clause to be meaningful and complete.
Subject Complements: Types
We have five types of subject complements in English. Take a look at the following list:
Now let us analyze some of them in more detail:
Noun Phrases as Subject Complements
Noun phrases can be a single word or two or more words together. They can describe the subject and function as subject complements. Study the following examples:
Miss Hale is
Those two ladies are
As you can see, the highlighted nouns are describing the subject.
Pronouns as Subject Complements
All kinds of pronouns (subject, object, demonstrative, interrogative, and indefinite pronouns) can be used as subject complements. Let us study some examples:
Her favorite color is
Here, a demonstrative pronoun has been used to complement the subject.
Lana is
As you can see, an interrogative pronoun is functioning as a subject complement.
Warning!
Please note that subject pronouns are not commonly used as subject complements nowadays.
Adjective Phrases as Complements
Adjective phrases can consist of a single word or multiple words, and they are used to describe or modify subjects. Look at the following examples:
The blue roses are
The city is
As you can see, an adjective has been used to describe the subject.
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