COMPLEMENTS

English 7CP

Mr. Snow

COMPLEMENTS: Overview

• A. A complement is a word or word group that completes the meaning of a verbverb.

• 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 objectsindirect objects can’t follow linking verbslinking verbs, what can?

• Subject compliments! • D. A subject

compliment is a word or word group in the predicatepredicate 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.]

• 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!

SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS

FIN