Complements

brianleeeee

Since this page is about the completers of thoughts, it is appropriate to include a brief description of complements. A complement (notice the spelling of the word) is any word or phrase that completes the sense of a

[li]A subject complement follows a linking verb; it is normally an adjective or a noun that renames or defines in some way the subject.
[li]A glacier is a huge body of ice. [/li][li]Glaciers are beautiful and potentially dangerous at the same time. [/li][li]This glacier is not yet fully formed. (verb form acting as an adjective, a participle)[/li]
Adjective complements are also called predicate adjectives; noun complements are also called predicate nouns or predicate nominatives.
[/li]

[li]An object complement follows and modifies or refers to a direct object. It can be a noun or adjective or any word acting as a noun or adjective.
[/li][li]
[li]The convention named Dogbreath Vice President to keep him happy. (The noun \"Vice President\" complements the direct object \"Dogbreath\"; the adjective \"happy\" complements the object \"him.\") [/li][li]The clown got the children too excited. (The participle \"excited\" complements the object \"children.\")[/li]
[/li][li]A verb complement is a direct or indirect object of a verb.
[li]Granny left Raoul all her money. (Both \"money\" [the direct object] and \"Raoul\" [the indirect object] are said to be the verb complements of this sentence.) [/li]
[/li]

subject, an object, or a verb. As you will see, the terminology describing predicates and complements can overlap and be a bit confusing. Students are probably wise to learn one set of terms, not both.