Object Complement

Understanding Object Complements

An object complement is a word or phrase that follows a direct object and renames or describes it. It completes the meaning of the sentence by providing information about the direct object.

Key Concepts

• Direct Object: The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb.
• Object Complement: The word or phrase that modifies or renames the direct object.
• Function: To describe the state or identity of the direct object after the verb’s action.

Deep Dive

Object complements typically follow verbs like make, name, call, consider, elect, find, leave, and think. They can be nouns, pronouns, adjectives, or even prepositional phrases.

Example: They elected him president.
(Him = direct object, president = object complement, renaming him)

Example: She found the movie boring.
(The movie = direct object, boring = object complement, describing the movie)

Applications

Object complements are crucial for creating precise and descriptive sentences. They add nuance and detail, helping the reader understand the full impact of the verb’s action on the object.

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common confusion is with predicate nominatives or adjectives, which follow linking verbs and describe the subject. Object complements relate to the direct object and the transitive verb.

FAQs

1. What is the difference between an object complement and a predicate nominative?Predicate nominatives follow linking verbs and modify the subject. Object complements follow transitive verbs and modify the direct object.
2. Can a phrase be an object complement?Yes, prepositional phrases or infinitive phrases can function as object complements.