The Complement

A sentence has a subject + verb + object.

Complements A complement is a word or word group that completes the meaning of a verb.

complement Direct objectsIndirect objects

Direct Objects: direct object is a noun, pronoun, or word group that tells who or what receives the action of the verb. Direct Objects come after the transitive verbs. They answer the questions: what? whom?

E.g.: The lion watched the brown deer very carefully. Deer is the D.O of the verb watched because it is telling us what is being watched.

E.g.: JaneinvitedJames to the party. James is the D.O of the verb invited because it is telling us who was invited.

Indirect Objects: An indirect objectis a noun, pronoun, or word group that usually comes between the verb and the direct object. An indirect object tells to whom or to what for whom for what the action of the verb is done.

The position of an indirect object is: TV  I.O  D.O [It comes after the transitive verb and before the direct object.]

E.g.: The dictator gave his family many gifts.

You are tempted to ask the question ‘The dictator gave whom? ’The direct object in this sentence is gifts and not family because the dictator can’t really give his family. However, you can ask the question ‘the dictator gave gifts to whom?’ this will give you the answer ‘family’ So, the D.O of the verb gave is gifts and the I.O is family.

E.g.: The dictator gave many gifts to his family.

Even though the sentence is not different in meaning to the previous one but the position of words is what plays the important role. The subject, transitive verb and direct object remains the same. However, there is no indirect object in this sentence. Family is the object of the preposition ‘to’ hence it cannot be the indirect object.

Predicate Nominatives A predicate nominative is a word or word group that is in the predicate and that identifies the subject or refers to it.

A predicate nominative is usually a noun or pronoun. A predicate nominative is always connected to the subject by a linking verb. A predicate nominative just renames the subject.

E.g.: My favorite book is 'Harry Potter’. Harry Potter is just renaming the subject book, and is connected to the subject by the linking verb ‘is’

E.g.: Will Jane become the president of the class? The linking verb ‘will become’ is connecting the subject ‘Jane’ to the predicate nominative ‘president’ which is just renaming Jane.

Predicate Adjectives A predicate adjective is an adjective that is in the predicate and that describes the subject.

Like a predicate nominative, a predicate adjective is connected to the subject by a linking verb. Instead of identifying the subject, though, a predicate adjective describes the subject.

E.g.: The movie was hilarious. The movie was what? Hilarious. Hilarious is describing the movie and is connected by a linking verb.

E.g.: The little child was tired. The child was what? Tired. Tired is describing the child and is connected by a linking verb.