Complements
In grammar a complement - not to be confused with a compliment! – is a way to provide more information about the subject or the object of a sentence.
A complement completes an idea, whether this is expressed with a phrase, a clause or a word.
When the complement refers to the subject of a sentence we talk about subject complement. When it refers to the object we talk about object complement.
A complement usually consists of an adjective or noun phrase, but it can also be an adverb, a participle phrase or a noun.
Subject Complements
A subject complement completes the subject by giving it a quality or a name.
Funny gives a quality to the subject (the meat).
the center of all the village gossip gives a name to the subject (her mother).
When a complement gives a subject a quality, it is usually an adjective, or an adjective phrase.
- adjective
- adjective phrase
When a complement gives a subject a name, it is usually a noun, a noun phrase or a noun clause.
- noun
- noun phrase
- noun clause
Subject complements usually follow linking verbs like: be, seem, look, become, appear, feel, grow, smell, taste, sound etc.
Object Complements
Object complements follow the direct object of the verb. In general, verbs which have to do with perceiving, judging, or changing something can cause their direct objects to take an object complement.
