Objects and Complements
Summer Enrichment for MKO
July 12, 2011
Let’s take a second and look at the basics of a sentence, MKO. A sentence always has a
subject, a verb, and a complete thought. Within this complete thought, there is often what
we call an object or a subject complement. There are two basic type of each.
Rules for Objects (Direct Objects and Indirect Objects)
1. They always follow action verbs. So when you think D.O. or I.O, think “action” verbs.
2. They can only be a noun or a pronoun.
3. Can be one of two types:
a. Direct object- receives the action of the verb
i. Key- always ask yourself the question what? following the verb and the
D.O. will be easier to find.
ii. Gabe gave candy to the children. Ask yourself: gave what? Candy. See?
Gabe gave what? Candy is the direct object because it answers what.
b. Indirect object: the person/object to whom the action is directed. Ask to the
question to whom or to what to find the indirect object.
i. Gabe gave the children candy.
In this sentence, you again ask what?
to find the direct object. This makes candy the direct object. Then ask to
whom/to what it was given? The children, which makes children your
indirect object.
There are some other VVVERRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY important things you need to
know about objects, direct and indirect. They CANNOT be in prepositional phrases. Also,
remember that you cannot have an indirect object (IO) without a direct object (DO).
Rules for Subject Complements (Predicate Nominatives and Predicate
Adjectives)
1. They always follow linking verbs (think am, is, was, forms of be, etc.).
2. They can only be a noun, pronoun or adjective.
3. Can be one of two types:
a. Predicate Nominative, also called a PN
i. A “PN” will always be a noun or pronoun.
ii. Key- always ask what following a linking verb. If what follows answers
what , is a noun, and renames the subject, then it is a PN.
Ex. Superman is my hero.
Is =linking verb so I look at my sentence and read for what I call the SVO
(subject- verb-object). Superman is what? Hero. So hero is the PN. IT
follows the linking verb and renames who Superman is.
b. Predicate Adjective, also called a PA
i. A “PA” will always be an adjective
ii. Again, ask what? Following a linking verb. If the object answers what
and is an adjective modifying the subject, then you have a PA.
Ex. My mother is a happy.
My mother is what? Happy. Happy is the PA because it is an adjective and
modifies the subject of the sentence: mother.
Now, what it the sentence had read this way:
My mother is a happy woman.
In this case, I would say “My mother is what?” She is a woman, not a
happy. So woman would be the PN and happy would simply be an adjective
modifying woman.
Remember: you will always have the same type of complement with the
same verb. You can have a compound (meaning two or more) PN or a
compound PA, but you will never have a PN and a PA with the same
verb, same sentence.
Let’s try a few sentences for practice. You can write the answers in caps or a different
color following or if you have a tablet with a pen, you can simply write the answers in the
blanks.
Exercise #1- Subject Complements: Predicate Nominatives
Choose the predicate nominative/s in the following sentences.
1. Ann is a new mother.
2. The black dog in the yard was a large Doberman.
3. The tall boy has been our best basketball player.
4. My uncle became a rich computer expert.
5. Mr. Bush may be our next President.
YOUR WORK WITH PREDICATE NOMINATIVES IS PERFECT! GREAT!
Exercise #2- Subject Complements: Predicate Adjectives
Choose the predicate adjective/s in the following sentences.
.
1. Great men are not always wise.
2. Peter and Paul were faithful in many ways.
3. A good name is priceless.
4. The day is cold and dark.
5. We should be reasonable.
6. No one is good at this.
7. The sword is quick and powerful.
Once again- perfect with predicate adjectives!!!
Exercise #3- Objects: Direct Objects
Choose the direct object/s in the following sentences
1. Paul built a doll house for Hayley.
2. The club members held a party in the park.
3. The audience cheered their favorite actors during the play.
4. Tiny children prefer short stories.
5. Terri really dialed a wrong number last night.
GOOD WORK!!! Perfect!
Exercise #4- Objects: Indirect Objects
Choose the indirect object/s in the following sentences.
1. Has your boss sent you a notice about the next convention?
2. John read his tiny nephew an exciting story.
3. Our father built the family a redwood picnic table.
4. The doctor sent me a bill for his services.
5. We gave my mother a book for her birthday.
FANTASTIC!!!! Perfect!
Exercise #5- Objects and Complements
In the following sentences, underline and label all of the predicate nominatives (PN), predicate
adjectives (PA), direct objects (DO), and indirect objects (IO). If there is no complement, mark
none. Remember: linking verbs=PN’s and PA’s; action verbs= DO’s and IO’s.
PA
1. John Johnson was excited about the building of the Market Street Bridge.
PA
2. The weather as a whole has been quite pleasant these last few days.
DO
3. Elvis, the King of Rock ‘n Roll, sang some of his most glorious songs in the 1950’s. IN
THIS CASE, YOU HAVE MARKED A SONGS, WHICH IS PART OF THE
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE “OF HIS MOST GLORIOUS SONGS.” NEVER FORGET
THIS RULE- IT WILL MAKE YOUR GRAMMAR LIFE EASIER: NO
OBJECT/SUBJECT COMPLEMENT WILL EVER BE IN A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.
NEVER, NEVER…  In this sentence, “some” is the DO.
IO
DO
4. My best friend Bud gave me a dictionary of quotations last weekend. GOOD!
PA
5. Woody became jealous of Buzz at the party.
IO
DO
6. The trout gave the fishermen a jerk, swam around the boat and jumped of the hook
promptly.
7.
There will be no classes on Monday due to the TAIS Conference. NONE
IO
DO
8. Pay Drocky the money you owe her or else!
DO
DO
9. Gabrielle decorated a pumpkin and a ghostly figure last night for tonight’s Halloween
festivities.
DO
10. We walked to the mall and bought a Halloween costume for Laura’s party tonight.
DO
11. Joanna is a busy businesswoman. IN THIS CASE, “BUSINESSWOMAN”
FOLLOWS A LINKING VERB SO IT IS INSTEAD A PN.
12. Her fear is unfounded. NONE IN THIS CASE “UNFOUNDED” IS A PA SINCE IT
FOLLOWS A LINKING VERB AND MODIFIES THE SUBJECT.
13. It seems reasonable to ask you to do your homework. NONE “REASONABLE” IS A
PA. THERE ARE OTHERS BUT THEY ARE PART OF PHRASES (WE WILL IGNORE
FOR NOW).
Hope you did well! Email me with any questions you may have, MKO. Turn this in Wednesday night
by 9 p.m. If you need more time, let me know.