Complement and Completers
• A complement or a completer is a word or a group of words that completes the meaning begun by the subject and the verb.
Examples:
-I planted flowers in my garden.
-That poem was humorous.-Ms. Musynske gave her students a party.-The winner is he.
Complements and Completers
• Complements can never be an adverb or be a word in a prepositional phrase.
Four Types of Complements and
Completers• DIRECT OBJECTS
• INDIRECT OBJECTS *** These two types of completers follow action verbs.
Four Types of Complements or
Completers• PREDICATE NOMINATIVES• PREDICATE ADJECTIVES
***These two types of complements follow linking verbs.
Direct Objects
• A direct object is a completer which follows an action verb.
• To find the direct object follow these steps:
Examples:
• We read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
• The boys recited the speech in social studies class.
Indirect Objects
• An indirect object follows an action verb.
• It comes after the verb but before the direct object.
• Not every sentence will have an indirect object.
• To find the indirect object follow these steps:
• Check for direct object. Ask “whom” or “ what’ after the verb.
• Check for indirect object. Ask “ to whom” or “for whom” after the direct object.
Examples:• Ms. Musynske gave her
students a party.
• The principal gave the boy his award for good citizenship.
Predicate Nominatives
• A predicate nominative is a complement that follows a linking verb.
• It will be a noun or a pronoun and will refer back to the subject.
Examples:• Ms. Musynske is my
English teacher.
• The winner of the award is he.
• The boy was captain of the team.
Predicate Adjectives
• An adjective which follows a linking verb is called a predicate adjective.– Examples:
The chili tasted spicy.
Her eyes are blue.