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Extra Grammar

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20 views14 pages

Extra Grammar

extra

Uploaded by

lovemaze235
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Extra (Review grammar)

Object complement

Study the sentence given below. Does it make complete sense?

 They elected Martin.

While this sentence has a subject, a verb and an object, it does not make complete
sense. We understand that Martin has been elected, but we don’t know what
position he occupies. In this case, we need a word or phrase to complete the
meaning of the object.

 They elected Martin their president.

Here the noun ‘their president’ acts as the object complement.

More examples are given below.

 They named the boy Christopher. (Subject – they; verb – named; object – the
boy; object complement – Christopher)

Here the noun ‘Christopher’ completes what is said about the object ‘the boy’ and
hence it acts as the object complement.
More examples are given below.

 James calls his dog Tiger. (Subject – James; verb – calls; object – his dog; object
complement – Tiger)
 The members elected Mathews their president. (Subject – the members; verb –
elected; object – Mathews; object complement – their president)
 The minister made his nephew his private secretary. (Object complement – his
private secretary)
 The king named his youngest son his successor.

The object complement can also be an adjective or an adjective phrase.

 My reply made my father angry. (Subject – my reply; verb – made; object – my


father; object complement – angry)
 The manager kept the clerks always busy. (Object complement – always busy)
 The teachers considered the boy very bright. (Object complement – very
bright)
 The judge found the accused guilty. (Object complement – guilty)
 He proved them wrong. (Object complement – wrong)
A subject complement is the adjective, noun, or pronoun that follows a linking verb.
The following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of be (am, is, are, was, were, has
been, are being, might have been, etc.), become, and seem. These true linking verbs
are always linking verbs.

Read these examples:

Brandon is a gifted athlete.

Brandon = subject; is = linking verb; athlete = noun as subject complement.

It was he who caught the winning touchdown Friday night.

It = subject; was = linking verb; he = pronoun as subject complement.

Brandon becomes embarrassed when people compliment his skill.

Brandon = subject; becomes = linking verb; embarrassed = adjective as subject


complement.

Then you have a list of vebs that can be


linking or action: appear, feel, grow, look, prove, remain, smell, sound, taste,
and turn.

If you can substitute any of the verbs on this second list with an equal sign ( = ) and
the sentence still makes sense, the verb is almost always linking.

Brandon's face will turn red.

Face = subject; will turn = linking verb; red = adjective as subject complement. (Will
turn is a linking verb because if you substitute an equal sign, the sentence still makes
sense.)

Do not confuse subject complements with direct objects.


Only linking verbs can have subject complements. If you have an action verb, then
the word that answers the question what? or who? after the SUBJECT + VERB is a direct
object.

When Michelle woke up this morning, she felt sick.

She = subject; felt = linking verb; sick = subject complement. (Felt is a linking verb
because if you substitute this felt with an equal sign, the sentence still makes sense.)

Michelle felt her forehead but did not detect a temperature.

Michelle = subject; felt = action verb. She felt what? Forehead = direct object. (Felt is
an action verb because if you substitute this felt with an equal sign, the sentence
does not make sense.)

Use subject pronouns as subject complements.

The chart below contains subject and object pronouns. Because a subject
complement provides more information about the subject, use the subject form of
the pronoun—even when it sounds strange.

SUBJECT PRONOUNS OBJECT PRONOUNS

I me
we us
you you
he, she, it him, her, it
they them
who whom

Check out these examples:

Don't blame Gerard. It was I who woke you from a sound sleep.

It = subject; was = linking verb; I = subject complement.

Don't get mad at me! I didn't pull your ponytail! It was he.

It = subject; was = linking verb; he = subject complement.

Remember the amazing guitarist that I met? This is she.

This = subject; is = linking verb; she = subject complement.

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