Direct Object, Indirect Object, Objective Complement, and Subject Complement

1. Complements
A complement is one or more words
used to complete the meaning of the
verb in the sentence. It is considered
part of the predicate.

2. Direct Objects
• A direct object is a word or group of words that
receives the action of an action verb in a
sentence.
• The direct object answers the question whom? or
what?
• In 1990 the Germans reunited their country.
(reunited what?)
• Tanya debated Juan on American foreign policy.
(debated whom?)

3. Direct Objects
• The direct object may be just one word or it
may be a phrase or clause.
• Each day, Kim practices swimming a mile for
next month’s triathlon. (phrase)
• Rosa knows how the word-processor operates.
(clause)

4. Direct Objects
• Do not mistake an adverb after an action verb for
a direct object
• The direct object following an action verb must
tell us whom or what whereas an adverbs tells us
where, when, how, or to what extent.
• The salesperson called customers all day. (direct
object – call whom)
• The salesperson called patiently all day. (adverb –
called how)

5. Indirect Objects
• An indirect object is a word or group or words
that tells to whom, to what, for whom, or for
what that action of the verb is performed.
• A verb can only have an indirect object if it
also has a direct object and the indirect object
always comes before the direct object.

6. Indirect Objects
• The proctor gave each student two sharpened
pencils. (Students – indirect object, answers
the question to whom?, Pencils is the direct
object)
• Jose built his beagle a new dog house. (Beagle
– the indirect object, answers the question for
what? Dog house is the direct object)

7. Indirect Objects
• Do not mistake a noun or pronoun preceded
by to or for for an indirect object. Such a noun
or pronoun is the object in a prepositional
phrase. The word to or for does not appear
before a noun or pronoun used as an indirect
object.

8. Indirect Objects
• The subway conductor gave the visitors
directions. (Visitors is an indirect object)
• The subway conductor gave directions to the
visitors. (Visitors is the object of the
preposition to)

9. Objective Complements
• Another type of complement that can occur in
a sentence with a direct object
• An objective complement is always a noun or
an adjective; it follows the direct object and
identifies or describes it.
• Any of these verbs (or synonyms for any of
them) may take an objective complement:
appoint, call, choose, consider, elect, find,
make, keep, name, think)

10. Objective Complements
• This extreme cold makes some people fearful.
(The objective complement, fearful, describes
the direct object, people.)
• Ruth considers the Alvin Ailey Dance
Company a unique troupe. (The objective
complement, a unique troupe, describes the
direct object, Alvin Ailey Dance Company.)

11. Subject Complements
• A subject complement comes after a linking
verb and identifies or describes the subject. It
can be a predicate nominative or a predicate
adjective.

12. Subject Complements
• A predicate nominative is a word or group of
words that comes after a linking verb and
renames or identifies the subject of a sentence.
Predicate nominatives are either predicate nouns
or predicate pronouns.
• The lead guitarist is also the group’s singer
(predicate noun)
• The newest member of the team is she.
(predicate pronoun)

13. Subject Complements
• A predicate adjective is an adjective that
follows a linking verb and modifies the subject
of a sentence.
• Darlene seems happy with her new after-
school job.

14. Subject Complements
• Gerunds can act as predicate nominatives, and
participles sometimes act as predicate adjectives.
• Do not confuse such gerunds and participles with
progressive (-ing) verb forms.
• The most exciting part of our vacation last
summer was rafting through the Grand Canyon.
(gerund phrase as predicate nominative)
• The senator’s speech was hardly inspiring.
(participle as predicate adjective)