A subject complement is a word or group of words that follows a linking verb and provides additional information about the subject of the sentence. It serves to either rename the subject (predicate nominative) or describe it (predicate adjective).
Types of Subject Complements:
- Predicate Nominative: This is a noun or pronoun that renames the subject.
Example:
- “She is a teacher.”
- Here, “a teacher” is the subject complement that renames the subject “She.”
Predicate Adjective: This is an adjective that describes the subject.
- Example:
- “The sky is blue.”
- In this case, “blue” is an adjective that describes the subject “The sky.”
More Examples:
- Predicate Nominative:
- “He became a doctor.”
- “a doctor” renames the subject “He.”
“The winner is John.”
- “John” renames the subject “The winner.”
Predicate Adjective:
- “The soup tastes delicious.”
- “delicious” describes the subject “The soup.”
- “They seem happy.”
- “happy” describes the subject “They.”
Key Points to Remember:
- Subject complements are always linked to the subject through a linking verb (such as “is,” “are,” “was,” “become,” “seem,” etc.).
- They are essential to completing the meaning of the sentence and providing clarity about the subject.
Practice Identifying Subject Complements:
- In the sentence “The flowers smell sweet,” the subject complement is “sweet.”
- In “Her favorite movie is Inception,” the subject complement is “Inception.”
Understanding subject complements can enhance comprehension of sentence structure and improve writing clarity.