By: Teacher Anayansi Santamaria CHAPTER 4: COMPLEMENTS By: Teacher Anayansi Santamaria

RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS A COMPLEMENT IS A WORD OR WORD GROUP THAT COMPLETES THE MEANING OF THE VERB. EVERY SENTENCE HAS AT LEAST ONE SUBJECT AND ONE VERB, BUT OFTEN A VERB ALSO NEEDS A COMPLEMENT TO MAKE THE SENTENCE COMPLETE. EXAMPLES: MARLENE BROUGHT MARLENE BROUGHT SANDWICHES. CARLOS THANKED CARLOS THANKED HER.

IN THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES IDENTIFY THE SUBJECT, VERB AND (COMPLEMENT). 1. DURING SHAKEPEARE’S TIME, PLAYS WERE A COMMON FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT IN ENGLAND. 2. A GREAT MANY PEOPLE WATCHED PLAYS AT THE MOST POPULAR PLAYHOUSE IN LONDON- THE GLOBE THEATER. 3. RICHARD AND CUTHBERT BURBAGE BUILT THE GLOBE IN 1599.

OBJECTS OF VERBS DIRECT OBJECTS AND INDIRECT OBJECTS COMPLETE THE MEANING OF TRANSITIVE VERBS. A DIRECT OBJECT IS A NOUN, PRONOUN, OR WORD GROUP THAT TELLS WHO OR WHAT RECEIVES THE ACTION OF THE VERB. A DIRECT OBJECT ANSWERS THE QUESTION “WHOM” OR “WHAT” AFTER A TRANSITIVE VERB. EXAMPLES: OUR HISTORY CLASS BUILT A MODEL OF THE ALAMO. MR. ITO GREETS WHOEVER COMES INTO THE SHOP.

INDIRECT OBJECTS AN INDIRECT OBJECT IS A NOUN, PRONOUN OR WORD GROUP THAT SOMETIMES APPEARS IN SENTENCES CONTAINING DIRECT OBJECTS.

EXAMPLES LUKE SHOWED THE CLASS HIS COLLECTION OF COMIC BOOKS. I.O. D.O. 2. SARITA BOUGHT US A CHESS SET. I.O. D.O. NOTE: AN INDIRECT OBJECT, JUST LIKE A DIRECT OBJECT, IS NEVER INCLUDED IN A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. A NOUN OR PRONOUN THAT FOLLOWS TO OR FOR IS THE OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION, NEVER AN INDIRECT OBJECT.

SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS A SUBJECT COMPLEMENT IS A WORD OR WORD GROUP THAT COMPLETES THE MEANING OF A LINKING VERB AND THAT IDENTIFIES OR DESCRIBES THE SUBJECT. THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS: THE PREDICATE NOMINATIVE AND THE PREDICATE ADJECTIVE.

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 MAY BE A NOUN, A PRONOUN OR ANY OTHER WORD GROUP THAT FUNCTIONS AS A NOUN. A PREDICATE NOMINATIVE COMPLETES THE MEANING OF A LINKING VERB.

IDENTIFY THE PREDICATE NOMINATIVES IN THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES: HORTICULTURE IS THE ART OR SCIENCE OF GROWING FLOWERS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND OTHER PLANTS. THROUGH GERMINATION, A SEED BECOMES A PLANT. THE DEVELOPING PLANT IS A SEEDLING.

PREDICATE ADJECTIVES A PREDICATE ADJECTIVE IS AN ADJECTIVE THAT IS IN THE PREDICATE AND THAT DESCRIBES THE SUBJECT. PREDICATE ADJECTIVES MAY BE COMPOUND. EXAMPLE: A COMPUTER CAN BE FUN, HELPFUL, AND SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING.

IDENTIFY THE PREDICATE ADJECTIVE OR ADJECTIVES IN THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES: THE GREAT STONE DOGS THAT GUARD ENTRANCE TO CHINATOWN LOOK A BIT FRIGHTENING. THE STREETS THERE ARE CROWDED AND FULL OF BUSTLING ACTIVITY. THE SPECIAL FOODS AND BEVERAGES AT THE TEAROOMS AND RESTAURANTS SMELL WONDERFUL.