Verb Complements
A complement is something coming after the verb that is needed to complete the meaning of a sentence. Action verbs and state of being (linking) verbs have different kinds of complements.
Action Verbs
Some action verbs do not require a complement:
- Barry swims every morning
- Joe walked from Lexington to Concord.
If the verb describes an action done to someone or something, the person or thing receiving the action is called a direct object. The last word in each of the following sentences is a direct object.
- Fred did not like his brother
- Jack stole the pie.
- She read the book.
- They ate all the chocolate.
Sentences that contain a direct object may also contain an indirect object. The indirect object is the person or thing to whom or for whom something is done. In each of the following sentences, the last word in the sentence is the direct object. The noun or pronoun that comes between the verb and the direct object is the indirect object.
- Betty gave her brother the secret code.
- Then she sent him a message.
- She said she would lend him the money.
State of Being Verbs
State of being verbs are also called linking verbs. They link the subject to a predicate noun or a predicate adjective
- Predicate noun -- Mr. Bigg is the Director of Operations.
- Predicate adjective -- The work was unacceptable.
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