Donald
is funny, but he
is no Steve Martin. (“funny” and the phrase “no Steve Martin” are both
subject complements describing “Donald” the subject of the first clause, and
"he" the subject of the second clause.)
*A linking verb is often a form of “to be.” The verbs indicating the five senses may
also be linking verbs (look, sound, smell, feel, taste),
and sometimes verbs that reflect a condition or state of being (for
example: appear, seem, become, grow, turn, prove,
remain) act
as linking verbs also.
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A tornado is a swiftly revolving wind.
(tornado (subject), is (linking verb)
wind (a predicate noun describing tornado)
Tornados sound loud
and frightening.
(tornados (subject), sound (linking
verb), loud, frightening (a predicate adjective describing tornados)
A
tornado appeared from the west. (tornado (subject), appeared (linking
verb), from the west (an adverbial complement modifying "appeared"--answers
"Where")
Predicate adjectives and predicate nouns both follow linking verbs (verbs of sensation such as
"feel," "look," "smell," "sound,"
"taste" or verbs of existence such as "act,"
"appear," "be," "become," "continue,"
"grow," "prove," "remain," "seem,"
"sit," "strand," "turn"). A predicate
adjective is an adjective. “Shelly
is pretty.”—“pretty is an adjective describing “Shelly”.
A predicate noun (predicate
nominative) is a noun.
“Will is an engineer”—“engineer”
is a noun describing “Will”.
2. Object complements come after a direct object and describe, define, or refer to that object. Object complements can be a noun, or an adjective, or any word functioning as a noun or an adjective. Some verbs like “make, name, call, choose, elect, and appoint” often have object complements. Object complements are not set off with commas.
We
all thought George mad
as a hatter.
Dorothy saw Toto biting
the wicked witch.
(The gerund “biting” is the complement of the DO “Toto”.)
“Color me blue,”
says a popular song.
(The
adjective “blue” is the complement of the DO “me”.)
Mark calls his girlfriend Sweetie.
(“Sweetie”—a noun, complements “girlfriend”—the direct
object. “his” is an adjective here, modifying “girlfriend")
Andrew thought her demands too unreasonable.
(The noun “demands” is the DO of “thought”.
“unreasonable” complements “demands”.)
“Marry me,” he pleaded.
“I’ll keep you happy.”
(“you” is the DO of “keep”
“happy” is the complement of “you”.)
3. Verb complements are direct or indirect objects of a verb. Verb complements may be nouns, pronouns, or words or word groups acting as nouns.
The mummy left Princess
Ananka his amulet.
(“Princess Ananka” (the indirect object) and “amulet” (the
direct object) are verb complements. They
describe, complete or modify the verb “left”.)
Modern science has given us discoveries both helpful and dangerous. (“us” is the IDO and “discoveries” is the DO of the verb “(has) given”. Both objects are verb complements.)
3a. Adjective and Adverbial "complements" are also used. They give the same information as an adjective or an adverb (where, when, how, how much) but are necessary to the meaning of the sentence.
We considered the food delicious. (‘delicious’, an adjective, describes the food)
She thought the man’s laughter too loud. (‘loud’ is an adjective complement describing laughter)
Notice how leaving the adjective complement out would make the sentence seem incomplete.
Grace was gathering flowers in the garden. ("in the garden" is an adverb phrase because it answers the question Where?. The sentence would be a complete thought without it however.)
Grace was in the garden. ("in the garden" is an adverb here also, but since the sentence wouldn't be a complete thought
without it, "in the garden" is an adverbial used as a complement.)
Adverbial complements can only be placed: 1) after the verb and 2) after the object.