COMPLEMENTS
English 7CP
Mr. Snow
COMPLEMENTS: Overview
• A. A complement is a word or word
group that completes the meaning of
a verb.
• Every sentence has a subject and a
verb. But some sentences need
complements in order to be complete.
– Dr. Charles Drew made [made what?]
– Dr. Charles Drew made advances in the
study of blood plasma.
COMPLEMENTS: Overview
– Medical societies honored [honored whom?]
– Medical societies honored him.
– Dr. Drew’s research was [was what?]
– Dr. Drew’s research was important.
An adverb is never a complement.
– The package is here. [not a complement
because here is modifying the verb is]
– The package is heavy. [complement]
DIRECT OBJECTS
• B. A direct object is a noun, pronoun,
or word group that tells who or what
receives the action of a verb.
– A direct object answers the question
Whom? or What? after a transitive verb.
• Remember transitive verbs? They are the
verbs that carry energy from one source to
another.
DIRECT OBJECTS
• You can think of a direct object as the thing
into which the verb carries the energy.
– I punched a wall. [punched what?]
– I punched
a wall.
– I met Dr. Mason. [met whom?]
– I met
Dr. Mason.
– My uncle repairs engines and sells them. [repairs
what? and sells what?]
– My uncle repairs
engines and
sells
them.
DIRECT OBJECTS
• Linking verbs express no action, so they never
take direct objects.
– She was a sculptor. [sculptor is NOT the direct
object of was—was carries no energy]
• Direct objects are never in prepositional
phrases.
– She worked with the clay. [no direct object,
because with the clay is a prepositional phrase]
– She worked the clay. [now clay is the direct object
of the transitive verb worked]
INDIRECT OBJECTS
• C. An indirect object is a noun, pronoun, or
word group that sometimes appears in
sentences containing direct objects.
• An indirect object tells to whom/to what or for
whom/for what the verb is done.
– You can think of an indirect object as being the
thing/person who receives the direct object.
INDIRECT OBJECTS
• There is good news: Sentences with
indirect objects follow the same pattern:
subject, main verb, indirect object, direct
object.
– The waiter gave her the bill.
– Pam left the waiter a tip.
– Did she tip him five dollars or ten dollars?
– Either way, she gave him a generous amount.
INDIRECT OBJECTS
• Just like direct objects, indirect objects
cannot appear in prepositional phrases.
– The captain gave the crew orders. [crew is the
indirect object]
– The captain gave orders to the crew. [no indirect
object, because to the crew is a prepositional
phrase]
– Mom made us lasagna. [us is the indirect object]
– Mom made lasagna for us. [no indirect object—for
is the beginning of a prepositional phrase]
Okay, so…
• If direct objects and
indirect objects can’t
follow linking verbs,
what can?
• Subject compliments!
• D. A subject
compliment is a word
or word group in the
predicate that
identifies or describes
the subject.
SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS
• E. A predicate nominative is a word or word
group that is in the predicate and that
identifies the subject.
• Predicate nominatives complete linking
verbs (remember, direct objects couldn’t).
– A dictionary is a valuable tool. [tool is a predicate
nominative that identifies the subject, dictionary.]
– The winner of the race was she. [she is a
predicate nominative identifying the subject,
winner.]
SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS
• The second subject complement:
• F. A predicate adjective is an adjective that
is in the predicate and that describes the
subject.
• A predicate adjective is connected to the
subject by a linking verb.
– Cold milk tastes good on a hot day.
– The pita bread was light and delicious.
– How kind you are!
FIN