 The
word complement comes from the
Latin word complere which means “to fill
up or complete”.
 Complements COMPLETE the
meaning of a verb.
A
complement can be a noun, a
pronoun, OR an adjective.
 An
adverb is NEVER a complement.
 ADVERB – The package is here. [Here is
an adverb that modifies the verb by
telling WHERE the package is.]
 COMPLEMENT – The package is heavy.
[Heavy is an adjective that makes the
sentence a COMPLETE thought.]
A
complement is never in a
prepositional phrase.
 PREP. PHRASE – Erin is painting in the
garage. (The prep. phrase in the garage is
an adverb phrase telling where Erin is
painting.)
 COMPLEMENT – Erin is painting her
room. (The noun room completes the
phrase by telling what she is painting.)
 Direct
Object: a noun, pronoun, or word
group that tells who or what receives the
action of the verb; must come after an
action verb
 Ex: I met Dr. Mason. (I met whom? I met
Dr. Mason. Dr. Mason receives the action
of the verb met.)
 Try: Please buy fruit, bread and milk.
 D.O. =______________________________
 Indirect
Object: a noun, pronoun, or word
group that sometimes appears in sentences
containing direct objects; tells to whom or to
what, or for whom or for what, the action of
the verb is done
 Ex: The waiter gave her the bill. (The
pronoun her is the indirect object of the
verb gave. It answers the questions “To
whom did the waiter give the bill?)
 Try: Did she tip him five dollars?
I.O. = ___________________________________
Predicate Nominative: a word or word group in
the predicate that identifies the subject; a noun
or pronoun that is connected to the subject by a
linking verb
[Common linking verbs: appear, be, become, grow,
remain, smell, stay, be, feel, look, seem, sound,
taste]
 Ex: A dictionary is a valuable tool. (Tool is a
predicate nominative that identifies the subject
dictionary.)
 Try: The discoverers of radium were Pierre Curie
and Marie Curie.

P.N.= ___________________
 Am, are, is, was, were, and, be
 Forms
of be, forms of be
 Taste, smell, sound, seem , look, feel , say
 Become, grow, appear, remain
 Predicate
Adjective: an adjective that is
in the predicate and describes the
subject; connected to the subject by a
linking verb
 Ex: Cold milk tastes good on a hot day.
(Good is a predicate adjective that
describes the subject milk.)
 Try: How kind you are!
P.A. =
__________________________________
 Direct
Object:
• After action verb
• Noun or pronoun
• Answers Who? Or What?
 Indirect
Object:
• After action verb, before Direct Object
• Noun or pronoun
• Answers To whom? Or To what?
 Predicate
Nominative:
• After linking verb
• Noun or pronoun
• Equal to the subject
 Predicate
adjective:
• After linking verb
• adjective
• Describes the subject
Find Subj.
& Verb
No? No
D.O.
Action
Verb
Linking
Verb
Are there
any Nouns
or Pron. after
V?
What is the
subject
equal to?
Yes? Does it
answer Whom?
What? = D.O.
Noun =
PN
To whom or what? For whom or
what? = I.O.
Adj.=PA
 Transitive
verbs – have direct objects
 Intransitive verbs – have NO direct
objects
Find Subj.
& Verb
No? No
D.O.
Action
Verb
Linking
Verb
Are there
any Nouns
or Pron. after
V?
What is the
subject
equal to?
Yes? Does it
answer Whom?
What? = D.O.
Noun =
PN
To whom or what? For whom or
what? = I.O.
Transitive
Intransitive
Adj.=PA