Complements

Definition

Complements are words or phrases that complete the meaning of a verb, noun, or adjective in a sentence. They add necessary information and can significantly change the meaning of a sentence, providing clarity about the subject's action or description.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Complements can be classified into several types: subject complements, object complements, and adverbial complements, each serving different grammatical functions.
2. Subject complements typically follow linking verbs and provide more information about the subject, often being nouns or adjectives.
3. Object complements follow and modify or refer to the direct object in a sentence, providing additional details about it.
4. Complements are essential for creating complex sentences where additional information is needed to convey complete thoughts.
5. Reducing clauses can sometimes remove complements from a sentence, making it more concise while retaining essential meaning.

Review Questions

• How do complements function in relation to verbs within sentences?
  • Complements work alongside verbs to complete their meaning by providing additional information about the action or state described by the verb. For instance, in the sentence 'She is a teacher,' 'a teacher' acts as a subject complement that describes 'She' through the linking verb 'is.' Without complements, sentences may lack clarity and fail to convey full ideas, as they don't fully explain what the subject is or does.
• What are the differences between subject complements and object complements?
  • Subject complements follow linking verbs and provide further information about the subject, often appearing as nouns or adjectives. For example, in 'He became a doctor,' 'a doctor' is a subject complement. On the other hand, object complements follow and modify the direct object of a transitive verb, such as in 'They named her captain,' where 'captain' clarifies what 'her' was named. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for identifying how each type functions within sentences.
• Evaluate how reducing clauses can affect the use of complements in sentences.
  • Reducing clauses often involves condensing longer phrases into simpler forms, which can sometimes lead to the omission of complements. For instance, transforming 'The boy who is playing soccer' to 'The boy playing soccer' eliminates the relative clause but retains essential meaning. However, this process may risk losing some nuance that complements provide. Thus, understanding when and how to reduce clauses effectively while preserving complement meanings is important for maintaining clarity in communication.

Related terms

Subject: The part of a sentence that indicates who or what is performing the action of the verb.

Predicate: The part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or is, typically containing the verb and its complements.

Direct Object: A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb, answering the question 'what?' or 'whom?' after the verb.