Sentence Complements

• Compliment = I give you a compliment

• “Nice hair…”

• Complement= Something that goes with something else

• “Ketchup goes with French fries.”

Sentence Complements:

Direct object Indirect Object

Predicate Nominative Predicate Adjective

The Direct Object

• Follows an action verb

• Answers the question:– Action verb who? Action verb what?

• The tires formed skid marks.• AV DO

• IS ALWAYS A NOUN OR A PRONOUN

Action verbs can take or not take a direct object.

• Transitive verbs TAKE a direct object• The tires formed skid marks.• “formed what?” skid marks• Intransitive verbs DO NOT take a direct

object.• The wax formed into a hideous creature

before our eyes. Prepositional phrase

• “into a hideous creature before our eyes”• Tells HOW it was formed. NOT A D.O.!

A DIRECT OBJECT RECEIVES THE ACTION OF THE TRANSITIVE VERB.

Sam, throw the football!

Throw what? Football D.O.

A sentence complement completes the thought of the

sentence.

The mechanical man startled the unsuspecting boy. Action verb

direct object

A direct object may be compound.

• The excited crowd watched the receiver A.V. D.O.

and his pursuers. D.O.

Compound direct object=

Receiver / pursuers

• A direct object will NEVER

follow a linking verb!

She is my homeroom teacher.

Is = linking verb teacher = predicate nominative

To find the direct object ask:

• Action verb who?

• Or

• Action verb what?

1. Hurricanes drop rain wherever they go.

2. They generate gale winds that may exceed 150 miles per hour.

3. The weather bureau uses satellites to track hurricanes.

4. A hurricane has an eye of about fifteen miles in width.

5. The Coast Guard patrols the United States waterways.

6. They must face floods and shipwrecks.

7. A radio center warns ships at sea.

8. Crews often mark certain icebergs as part of tracking.

9. They shoot colored dye at the icebergs.

10.Icebergs can cover distances of five to forty miles per day.

**Icebergs have been sighted as far south as Bermuda.

Practice: Direct Objects

• Hurricanes drop rain wherever they go. • They generate gale winds that may exceed 150 miles per

hour.• The weather bureau uses satellites to track hurricanes.• A hurricane has an eye of about fifteen miles in width.• The Coast Guard patrols the United States waterways.• They must face floods and shipwrecks.• A radio center warns ships at sea.• Crews often mark certain icebergs as part of tracking.• They shoot colored dye at the icebergs.• Icebergs can cover distances of five to forty miles per day.

• **Icebergs have been sighted as far south as Bermuda.• There is no direct object in the above sentence. The verb

phrase (have been sighted) is an intransitive one.

Answers: Direct Objects

Indirect Object tells to whom or for whom the

action of the verb is done.

Where is the indirect object in the sentence?

• The indirect object comes after an action verb and before a direct object.

• Clara feeds the dogs high-protein food.

• Subject action verb article indirect object adjective direct object

• V I D

• The pattern for a sentence with an indirect object is always:

•V I D Think VIDeo!

“Get me the video camera…”

Verb indirect obj direct obj.

Compound Indirect Objects

• Clara gives the dogs and their owners clear instructions.

• SUB VERB I.O. I.O. D.O.

Notice that the indirect object always receives something. That something is the direct object.

Remember: You can have a sentence with a direct object but no indirect object.

• However: You can’t have an indirect object without a direct object.

• In other words, you can’t have someone or thing receive something without having something to receive (which is what the direct object is!)

• Ron sells hamburgers.

• SUBJ VERB D.O.

Practice: Indirect Objects

• 1. Clara had given her dog obedience training.• 2. Clara showed her neighbor her dog-training ability.• 3. Mr. Ramirez offered Clara a job training his dog.• 4. Mr. Ramirez has been telling his friends his high opinion of

Clara’s skills.• 5. Now Clara teaches many dogs basic obedience skills.• 6. She is building herself a bank account for college.• 7. Mrs. Ames assigned the class a project about pets.• 8. She gave everyone the assignment.• 9. Individuals and groups gave us some valuable ideas.• 10. We made ourselves a promise to adopt all of our future pets

from the local shelter.

Answers: Indirect Objects

• 1. Clara had given her dog obedience training.• 2. Clara showed her neighbor her dog-training ability.• 3. Mr. Ramirez offered Clara a job training his dog.• 4. Mr. Ramirez has been telling his friends his high

opinion of Clara’s skills.• 5. Now Clara teaches many dogs basic obedience

skills.• 6. She is building herself a bank account for college.• 7. Mrs. Ames assigned the class a project about pets.• 8. She gave everyone the assignment.• 9. Individuals and groups gave us some valuable ideas.• 10. We made ourselves a promise to adopt all of our

future pets from the local shelter.

Predicate Nominatives

• A noun or a pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject

• Mr. Cohen is a man with much to tell.

• subject linking verb predicate nominative

predicate nominative =

predicate noun

Think of a linking verb as an equal sign

• Mr. Cohen has been a shop owner for years.

• Subject LV predicate nominative

• Mr. Cohen = owner

Check the verb!

• Action Verbs:

• Direct objects• Indirect objects

• Linking verbs:

• Predicate nominatives• Predicate Adjectives

A predicate nominative can be compound.

• Mr. Cohen is a storekeeper and friend.

• Subject LV PN PN

=

Practice

• 1. Mr. Cohen’s shop has been a gathering place for more than fifty years.

• 2. Even my grandparents were his customers and friends.• 3. Mr. Cohen is a wonderful storyteller.• 4. When he was young, his life was a challenge.• 5. I am a fortunate person to know Mr. Cohen.• 6. In the summer, the stores were hothouses.• 7. Today, with air-conditioning, they are almost iceboxes.• 8. For a visitor to a faraway state, the train trip was a challenge.• 9. Today, after a speedy plane trip, you are a happy person.• 10. When Mr. Cohen was a child, this land was farmland.

Answers: Predicate Nouns

• 1. Mr. Cohen’s shop has been a gathering place for more than fifty years.

• 2. Even my grandparents were his customers and friends.• 3. Mr. Cohen is a wonderful storyteller.• 4. When he was young, his life was a challenge.• 5. I am a fortunate person to know Mr. Cohen.• 6. In the summer, the stores were hothouses.• 7. Today, with air-conditioning, they are almost iceboxes.• 8. For a visitor to a faraway state, the train trip was a challenge.• 9. Today, after a speedy plane trip, you are a happy person.• 10. When Mr. Cohen was a child, this land was farmland.

Predicate Adjective

• Follows a linking verb and describes the subject of the sentence

• The soda was cold and refreshing.

• subject LV ADJ ADJ

Linking Verbs

• am is are was were will be

• have been will have been shall be

• taste feel seem appear

• look sound

Practice

• 1. The container of milk smells sour.• 2. The situation appears complicated.• 3. The pie tastes delicious.• 4. The situation appears complicated.• 5. Everyone remained calm.• 6. The room was light blue.• 7. Your dog is very aggressive.• 8. J.K. Rowling’s books have become famous.• 9. Her stories are sometimes complicated.• 10. The ocean looks calm tonight.

Answers: Predicate Adjectives

• 1. The container of milk smells sour.• 2. The situation appears complicated.• 3. The pie tastes delicious.• 4. The situation was grim.• 5. Everyone remained calm.• 6. The room was light blue.• 7. Your dog is very aggressive.• 8. J.K. Rowling’s books have become famous.• 9. Her stories are sometimes complicated.• 10. The ocean looks calm tonight.

Tell if the highlighted word is a predicate noun, predicate adjective, direct object, or indirect object.

1. Dara is a main character in The Clay Marble.

2. The sturdy ox pulls the empty cart.

3. Palm fronds shade the weary travelers.

4. The air is thick with humidity and mosquitoes.

5. The morning mist gave the campsite a dreamlike quality.

6. Mother became ill with dread.

7. Rain pelted the dry, dusty wagon.

8. Jantu made the children toys.

9. Jantu made the children toys.

10. Cambodia is the setting of the novel.

PN=predicate noun PA=predicate adjective DO=direct objectIO=indirect object

1. Dara is a main character in The Clay Marble.

2. The sturdy ox pulls the empty cart.

3. Palm fronds shade the weary travelers.

4. The air is thick with humidity and mosquitoes.

5. The morning mist gave the campsite a dreamlike quality.

6. Mother became ill with dread.

7. Rain pelted the dry, dusty wagon.

8. Jantu made the children toys.

9. Jantu made the children toys.

10. Cambodia is the setting of the novel.