direct and indirect objects, subject complements, Lecture notes of Grammar and Composition

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COMPLEMENTS

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

OBJECTS, SUBJECT

COMPLEMENTS

RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS

A complement is a word or word group that completes the meaning of a verb. Every sentence has a subject and a verb. Sometimes the subject and the verb can express a complete thought all by themselves.  Examples: Adriana swam. The puppy was sleeping.

RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS

 Examples: Incomplete: Sarah bought (what?) Complete: Sarah bought herself a new jacket. (The pronoun herself and the noun jacket complete the meaning of the verb bought. Incomplete: The longcase clock was (what?) Complete: The longcase clock was an antique. (The noun antique completes the meaning of the verb was.

RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS

Incomplete: The elephant seemed (what?) Complete: The elephant seemed tired. (The adjective tired completes the meaning of the verb seemed.

RECOGNIZING COMPLEMENTS

A complement is never a part of a prepositional phrase.

Object of Preposition: Hannah is riding to her friend’s house. (The noun house is the object of the preposition to.)

Complement: Hannah is riding her bicycle. (The noun bicycle completes the meaning of the verb phrase is riding by telling what Hannah is riding.)

OBJECTS OF VERBS

Direct objects and

indirect objects complete the meaning of transitive verbs.

DIRECT OBJECTS

A direct object answers the question Whom? or What? after a transitive verb.  Examples: My brother bought a model. (My brother bought what? Bought a model. The noun model receives the action of the verb bought.) Jan called somebody for the assignment. (Jan called whom? Called somebody. The pronoun somebody receives the action of the verb called.)

DIRECT OBJECTS

A direct object may be a compound of two or more objects. Examples: Did the car have spoked wheels and a spoiler? (The compound direct object of the verb Did have is wheel and spoiler.) She needed glue, paint, and decals for her model. (The compound direct object of the verb needed is glue, paint, and decals.)

INDIRECT OBJECTS

The indirect object is another type of complement. Like the direct object, the indirect object helps complete the meaning of a transitive verb. If a sentence has an indirect object, it must also have a direct object.

INDIRECT OBJECTS

An indirect object is a noun, pronoun, or word group that usually comes between the verb and the direct object. An indirect object tells to whom or to what or for whom or for what the action of the verb is done.

INDIRECT OBJECTS

If the word to or for is used, the nouns, pronoun, or word group following it is part of a prepositional phrase and cannot be an indirect object. Objects of Prepositions: The ship’s captain gave orders to the crew. Vinnie made some lasagna

INDIRECT OBJECTS

Like a direct object, an indirect object can be compound.  Examples: She gave Ed and me the list of summer activities. (Ed and me are indirect objects of the verb gave. They answer the question “To whom did she give the list? ”) Did the peacock show you

SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS

 Examples: The airport appears very busy. (The subject

complement busy

describes the subject

airport. The linking verb

appears connects airport

and busy.)

What smells so good? (The

SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS

 Examples: He was the one in the middle of the line, in fact. (The subject

complement one identifies

the subject He. The

linking verb was connects

He and one.)

The author of that story is