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Complement (linguistics)

In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause which is ''necessary'' in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements which function as a sentence element (i.e. of equal status to subjects and objects) and complements which exist within sentence elements.

Both complements and modifiers add to the meaning of a sentence. However, a complement is necessary to complete a sentence; a modifier is not. For example, "Put the bread on the table" needs "on the table" to make it complete. You cannot merely put something, you need to put it somewhere. In this context, the phrase "on the table" is a complement. By contrast, "The bread on the table is fresh." does not require "on the table" to be complete, so here, the phrase "on the table" is a modifier. A modifier, unlike a complement, is an ''optional'' element of a sentence.

Predicative complements


In linguistics, complement refers only to the predicative complement. A predicative complement is the complement that is predicated by a predicate. A predicate is the completer of a sentence; a predicator (verb) + complement. The term predicate complement refers to the fact that the predication depends on the attribution of a subject and its predicator (a verb, verb string, or compound verb). The predicative complement consists of few contrasting varieties:
*Object complement (common complement)
*Predicative nominative (noun,nominal,pronominal; common in SUB or OBJ complement)
*Predicative adjective (or adjectival, common in subject complement)
*Predicative adverb (or adverbial, common in intransitive predication)
*Predicative adjunct (optional complement)

Subject complements



A subject complement tells more about the subject by means of the verb. In the examples below the sentence elements are (SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT)

''Mr. Johnson is a management consultant''. (a predicative nominative)

''She looks ill.'' (a predicative adjective)

Object complements


An object complement tells us more about the object by means of the verb. In the examples below the sentence elements are (SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + COMPLEMENT). Object complements can often be removed leaving a well-formed sentence, thus the use of the term complement is slightly illogical.

''We elected him chairman.'' (a predicative nominative)

''We painted the house red.'' (a predicative adjective)

An object complement can be a noun, pronoun, or adjective that follows and modifies a direct object. It can describe, clarify, re-name, or show completion of a process. It is most often used with verbs involving judgement, nomination, or creation.

*Examples:

My son painted his room blue. (''Blue'' modifies the direct object ''room''.)

The class elected the smallest boy President. (''President'' modifies ''boy'' and shows the result of the election.)

The clown made the children very excited. (The participle ''excited'' describes ''children''.)

It can be confused with subject complements (predicate nominatives or predicate adjectives).

*For example:

The waitress seems grumpy. (''Grumpy'' is a predicate adjective modifying the subject, ''waitress''.)

I consider the waitress grumpy. (''Grumpy'' modifies the direct object, ''waitress''.)

Adverbials as complements


Adverbials, central to the meaning of a sentence, are usually adjuncts (i.e. they can be removed and a well-formed sentence remains). If, however, an adverbial is a necessary sentence element, then it is an adverbial complement. Adverbial complements often occur with a form of the copula ''be'' acting as a clause's main verb. The structure of the sentence below is (SUBJECT + VERB + ADVERBIAL COMPLEMENT)

''John is in the garden''.

Verb objects


Some grammarians refer to objects as ''complements''.

Complement clauses


Unlike a relative clause, which is only part of an argument, a complement clause is itself an argument, i.e. a subject (S/A) or an object (O/E). There are several criteria to distinguish between relative and complement clauses, for example passivization, topicalization, coordination and interrogation.Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2006), "Complement Clause Types in Israeli", ''Complementation: A Cross-Linguistic Typology'', edited by R. M. W. Dixon and Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 72-92 (Chapter 3).

An example of a complement clause is "that she is beautiful" in the following sentence, ''that'' acting as a complementizer:

I know that she is beautiful.

Complement_(linguistics)
Source: Wikipedia