Structure of
Complementation
Meeting 6
Complement in NP
Some Post-head dependents are complements of
the head noun rather than modifiers.
Complements of N are typically PP or Clause which
'completes' the meaning of the head Noun.
My interest in your proposal
The professor's study of refugees
The lecturer's insistence on punctuality
His assertion that linguistics is fun
Their claim that linguistics is hard
Contrast between PP modifiers and PP complements
• Closer semantic and syntactic relationship between PP
complement and head
Which small boy?
The small boy with the large dog
The small boy in the garden
The small boy on the fence
*Which reliance? Reliance on what/who?
Reliance on your ability/ on your uncle
Contrast between PP modifiers and PP complements
• PP modifier may be headed by any preposition
Which small boy?
The small boy with the large dog
The small boy in the garden
The small boy on the fence
• PP complement has restricted P (depending on head N)
Interest in what?
Interest in your proposal
*Interest with/by/on your proposal
VERB
NOUN
insists on NP
insistence on NP
relies on NP
reliance on NP
worries about NP
worry about NP
interests oneself in NP
interest in NP
studies NP
student of NP / study of NP
dislikes NP
dislike of NP
loves NP
love of NP/ lover of NP
Relationship between PP complement of N reflects
relationship between corresponding verb and its complement.
Only one complement; multiple modifiers
The small boy [in the garden] [with his pet dog]
The small boy [with his pet dog] [in the garden]
*The student [of physics] [of theology].
Complement precedes modifier
The student [of physics] [with his pet dog]
*The student [with his pet dog] [of physics]
Functions in Adjective Phrase (AdjP)
• Head
• Dependents:
• Prehead Modifier (PrHdMod)
• Posthead Complement (Comp)
AdjP
PrHdMod:AdvP
so very improbably
Head:Adj
Comp:PP
keen
on that movie
crazy
about that movie
Functions in the Adverb Phrase (AdvP)
• head: Adv
• dependents:
• prehead modifier: AdvP
• posthead complement: PP / clause
more
carefully
than Jo
so very
quickly
that he fell over
quickly
*than Jo/ that he fell over
PrHdMod:
Head:
Comp:
AdvP
Adv
PP/Clause
Functions in the Preposition Phrase
PP
• head: P
• Prehead modifier: AdvP
• Posthead complement: NP/PP
PP
PrHdMod:AdvP
Head:P
Comp:NP
straight
though
the intersection
almost right
into
the crowd
barely
in
the water
Summarizing functions of constituents of phrases:
• head
• dependents
Types of dependents:
• prehead
• determiner (in NP only)
• modifer
• posthead
• modifier
• complement
Functions in the Verb Phrase (VP)
Head: V
 Dependents:

– Pre-head modifier: AdvP
– Post-head modifier: AdvP/PP
– (Post-head) complement:
NP/PP/AdvP/clause
S
Subject:NP Tense:AUX
Predicate:VP
head:V PtHdMod:AdvP
The boy
has
run
very quickly
S
Subject:NP Tense:AUX
Predicate:VP
PrHdMod:AdvP
The boy
has
very quickly
V
run
Types of Complement in the VP
• Direct Object: NP
• Indirect Object: NP
• Prepositional Phrase Complement (PPC): PP
• Subject Predicative Complement (PCS): NP/AdjP
• Object Predicative Complement (PCO): NP/AdjP
Post-head modifiers in VP are often referred to as adjuncts
Direct Object (DO) Function in VP

The direct object function is filled by NP
– The dogs chased the cats.

If the direct object is a pronoun, the pronoun is in
Accusative case form.
– The dogs chased them. (*they)

In basic sentences, the direct object NP comes
immediately after the verb
– *The dogs chased [quickly] them.

Exception: if there is also an indirect object NP
– The boy bought [the girl] an icecream.
Unlike PP complements in NPs and AdjPs the direct
object (DO) NP is usually obligatory in English
The boy discovered the treasure.
The boy discovered it.
*The boy discovered.
The discovery of the treasure
The discovery
Indirect Object (IO) function in VP

Indirect object (IO) function is only filled by NP
•
IO follows V and precedes DO
– I gave my brother [a new bicycle].

The IO pronoun is Accusative (or Reflexive)
Accusative IO I baked him a cake
Reflexive IO I baked myself a cake
Preposition Phrase Complement in VP
(PPC)
a PP may fill a complement function in a VP
 It may be the only complement

– John relies on his friend.

It may follow an NP (DO) complement
– John put [the book] on the table.

As with PP complements in an NP or AdjP, the choice
of preposition is restricted by the verb.
– relies on/*in/*from; believes in/*on/*about
Subjective Predicative Complement (PCS)



PCS is filled by NP or by AdjP
PCS comes directly after the verb
The PCS describes an attribute or property of the
referent of the subject NP
Compare:
– The man saw a doctor. (DO)
– The man became a doctor. (PCS)
– *The man saw very clever. (DO)
– The man became very clever. (PCS)
Another property of PCS

If the PCS is a NP, it normally agrees with the subject NP
The gentleman is a lawyer.
The gentlemen are lawyers.
*The gentleman is lawyers.
*The gentlemen are a lawyer.

Only a limited set of verbs take an NP as PCS:
– be, become, seem, look, resemble...
Tests to distinguish PCS from DO
Test 1 - Substitution
Marjorie looked a fright.
 PCS can be NP or AdjP.
 DO can only be NP.
Can you replace the NP with an AdjP?
Marjorie looked frightful /angry /very sad.
Therefore - PCS.
Tests to distinguish PCS from DO
Test 2 - Agreement
The doctor seems a nice man.
 PCS must agree with the subject.
 DO does not agree with the subject
The doctor saw a nice man/nice men.
Can you make the NP plural?
*The doctor seems nice men.
Therefore - PCS.
Objective Predicative Complement (PCO)

Similar to PCS in many respects, but a PCO describes
an attribute of the DO of a sentence.
We consider
Subj
Verb

him
our leader.
DO
PCO
The PCO function is filled by NP or AdjP.
– We consider him very trustworthy.

An NP in the PCO function agrees in number with the
DO phrase.
– We consider them our leaders.
Distinguish PCO construction from IO
construction

VP  V NP NP
We consider him our leader. (DO PCO)
We gave him our leader. (IO DO)
•
Substitute AdjP for NP if PCO
• We consider him very stong.
•
Cannot substitute AdjP for NP if DO
• *We gave him very strong.
Distinguish PCO construction from IO
construction

VP  V NP NP
We consider him our leader. (DO PCO)
We gave him our leader. (IO DO)
•
DO NP and PCO NP agree in number
• We consider him our leader. (singular)
• We consider them our leaders. (plural)
•
No number agreement between IO and DO
• We gave him our leader/leaders.
• We gave them our leader/leaders.
Adjuncts

Post-head dependents which are not complements in a
VP are adjuncts

Adjuncts are never obligatory

Adjuncts modify some aspect of the possible reference
of the VP

Different types of phrases can act as an adjunct in a
VP (XP is an abbreviation for an unspecified type
of phrase)

Adjuncts can be fronted to pre-Subject
I left very quickly. (AdvP)
I left.
Very quickly I left.
I saw John on Tuesday. (PP)
I saw John.
On Tuesday I saw John.
Mary left the following day. (NP)
Mary left.
The following day Mary left.
Multiple adjuncts
Sue slept very badly in the plane on Tuesday after the
meeting
Complements cannot be omitted (except in special cases)
I behave very badly. (COMP:AdvP)
*I behave ___. (incomplete - opposite meaning)
I put John on the ground. (COMP:PP)
*I put John ___.
Mary left her bag. (COMP:NP)
*Mary left ____.
Santa depends on Rudolph. (COMP:PP)
*Santa depends ___.
Complements precede adjuncts
John read [the book] carefully/in the lounge
*John read carefully/in the lounge [the book].
Exception: 'Heavy' DO NP may follow an adjunct phrase
John examined (very) carefully [every single document in
the safe].
Summary
Every phrase has a head
A phrase may have dependents
Dependents may precede or follow the head
Dependents with a close semantic and syntactic
relationship with the head are complements
In some phrases (e.g., VP) complements may be
obligatory
Dependents which are freely added to a phrase to modify
the head are adjuncts