Are you stuck at the question, "what is a subject complement in English grammar?" Worry no more! Read this post which covers each and every aspect of subject complement with definition, types, functions and many more. Subject complements are essential parts of our sentences [spoken or written] in English which give us important information about the subject of the sentence, completing it. Subject complements add to the description and identification of the subject, adding clarity to statements.
Continue to learn more about subject complement definition, types, functions and examples in great details. In this article, we've covered:
- What is a subject complement?
- Types of subject complement
- Functions of subject complement
- How to identify subject complements?
- Examples of subject complement
- FAQs - Subject complement
Subject Complement - Meaning and Definition
What is a subject complement in English? As the name suggests, a subject complement means any word or phrase that complements the subject of the sentence. However, there're several definitions of subject complement given by different grammarians. Below are given some of the definitions of subject complement:
ThoughtCo defines a subject complement as "a word or phrase that follows a linking verb and describes or renames the subject of the sentence."
Wikipedia defines a subject complement as "a predicative expression that follows a copula (also known as a linking verb), which complements the subject of a clause by means of characterization that completes the meaning of the subject."
Cambridge Dictionary states, "a subject complement gives us more information about the subject. It usually comes after linking verbs, sense verbs and after change of state verbs."
According to the above-mentioned definitions of subject complement, we can define a subject complement as follows:
1. A subject complement is a word or phrase.
2. A subject complement describes or renames the subject.
3. A subject complement comes after copula or linking verbs.
4. A subject complement gives us more information about the subject.
5. A subject complement is a predicative expression [part of predicate].
6. Linking verbs connect the subject with the subject complement.
Read the following examples carefully and see how the linking verbs connect the subject with the subject complement and how the subject complements describe or rename the subjects of the sentence.
Examples of Subject Complements
1. subject complement after linking verbs:
- John is a teacher. ("a teacher" = subject complement; "is" = linking verb; "teacher" renames the subject "John")
2. subject complement after sense verbs:
- It tastes good. ("good" = subject complement; tastes = sense verb; "good" describes "It")
3. subject complement after change of state verbs:
- Sofia became a lawyer. ("a lawyer" = subject complement; "became" = state verb; "a lawyer" renames the subject "Sofia")
5 Types of Subject Complements
Subject complements can be predicate nouns, predicate adjectives, predicate adverbs, predicate pronouns and predicate prepositional phrases. Here are the five most common types of subject complements in English grammar:
1. Predicate Nominative or Noun: A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject. It provides a clear identification or classification of the subject.
For example:
John is a teacher. ("teacher" = predicate nominative, identifying the subject)
2. Predicate Adjective: A predicate adjective is an adjective that comes after a linking verb and describes the subject. Predicate adjectives give us more information about the qualities or states of the subject.
For example:
John seems happy. ("happy" = predicate adjective, describing the subject)
3. Predicate Adverb: A predicate adverb is an adverb which comes after a linking verb and tells us more about the subject.
For example:
Where is she? She is upstairs. ("upstairs" = adverb phrase as subject complement)
4. Predicate Pronouns: A predicate pronoun is a pronoun that comes after a linking verb and complements the subject.
For example:
It is she who told me to with her. ("she" = pronoun as subject complement)
5. Predicate Prepositional Phrase: A prepositional phrase also can be used as a subject complement.
For example:
It smells of fish here. ("of fish" = prepositional phrase as subject complement)
Also read: Predicate and Types
Identifying subject complements is essential; therefore, before we move to the functions of subject complements, let's talk about how to identify subject complements. Here're steps to identify subject complements:
Step 1. Look at the predicate part and decide the type of the word used:
This step asks you to look at the second part of the sentence: predicate and then know the type of the word used in there whether they're nouns, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives or prepositional phrases.
Step 2. Look at the function of the word used:
This step asks you to identify the function of the word used in the predicate part whether or not it renames, describes or completes the subject.
Step 3. Mark the word or phrase as subject complement if found identifying, renaming or describing the subject:
This step asks you to mark the word, which identifies, renames or describes the subject as subject complement.
Note: After successfully following all the steps, mark predicate nouns, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives and prepositional phrases, which identify, rename, describe or complete the subject as subject complements.
Functions of Subject Complements
There're various functions that are played by subject complements in English grammar. Here're the top functions rendered by the subject complements:
1. Provide Identification: We use subject complements to help identify the subjects by providing more information about who or what the subject is.
For example:
The writer of the book is John. (The subject complement "John" tells us what the subject is: writer)
2. Describe the Subject: Subject complements describe the subject's characteristics, qualities, or states. They add to the meaning and characteristics of the subject.
Example:
John is handsome. ("handsome" = subject complement that describes the quality of the subject.)
3. Complete the Meaning of the Sentence: Subject complements make the meaning of the sentence complete with the help of the linking verbs. Some sentences without subject complements become incomplete and illogical. Look at the following example.
For example:
The meal tastes fantastic. ("fantastic" = subject complement that completes the meaning of the sentence.)
Summary: Subject Complement
Subject complements are the words or phrases that complete grammatical subjects by means of identifying, renaming or describing the subjects used in sentences. Subject complements are majorly categorized into five categories such as predicate nominative or noun, predicate adjective, predicate pronoun, predicate adverb and predicate prepositional phrase. These five types of words are commonly used as subject complements in English.
Understanding subject complements is helpful for both writers and speakers, as subject complements enable them to enrich their communication by making them capable of conveying detailed information. Therefore, learning subject complements is essential for the learners of English to master the sentence structures.
FAQs - Subject Complement
What is subject complement with examples?
Subject complements in English grammar are the words or phrases that complete grammatical subjects by means of identifying, renaming or describing them as in "John is a teacher," where "a teacher" is a subject complement that identifies "John" as "a teacher." Learn more in the article.
How do you tell if a word is a subject complement?
Step 1: Look carefully at the predicate part and decide the type of word used.
Step 2: Look at the function of the word used in the predicate part.
Step 3: Mark the words used in the predicate part to identify, rename, describe or complete the subject as subject complements.
What is the definition of subject complement?
The definition of subject complement is any word or phrase used in the predicate part to identify, rename, describe or complete the subject is called subject complement.
What is the function of subject complement?
The functions of subject complements include identifying, renaming, describing and completing the subject of the sentence.
How many types of subject complement are there?
There're mainly five types of subject complements in English grammar. They're given as follows:
1. Predicate nominative or predicate noun
2. Predicate adjective
3. Predicate adverb
4. Predicate pronoun
5. Predicate prepositional
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