Subject and Object Complement
Look at the sentence:
My father bought me a book.
In the given sentence, obviously, my father is the subject. But looking further into it will give us two objects, of which one is me and the other is a book, and in the process, one will be the direct object and the other will be the indirect object.
But then, which one of these is the direct object and which is the indirect object?
Direct objects give answers to the questions who(m) or what. In the given sentence a book answers to what. Therefore, it is the direct object.
Similarly, indirect objects give answers to the questions to whom, for whom or for what. In the given sentence, me answers the question to whom. Therefore, it is the indirect object.
Subject complement:
Read the following sentence:
Edmund is a doctor.
In the given sentence, the subject Edmund is described with another noun; doctor. What this noun does to the subject is that, it complements the subject. Therefore, the noun doctor is the subject complement of the given sentence.
Definition:
A subject complement is a word or a phrase that describes the subject. The subject complement can either be a noun, a pronoun, an adverb or an adjective. It is usually placed right after the linking verb.
Examples:
- She looks beautiful. (Adjective)
- Philip is a liar. (Noun)
- The bus moves slowly. (Adverb)
- He hit himself. (Pronoun)
Object complement:
Read the following sentence:
The Council made Tom the Chairman.
In the given sentence, the word the Chairman gives us more information about the direct object Tom. That is, it modifies the direct object. Therefore, the word the Chairman is the object complement of the given sentence.
Definition:
An object complement is a word or a phrase that describes/ modifies the direct object. It is usually placed right after the direct object.
Examples:
- The court declared the group guilty.
- Steve gave the dog a biscuit.
- The rules made the game extremely difficult.
- The final goal made the crowd go crazy.
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