Object complement

In grammar, an object complement is a predicative expression that follows a direct object of an attributive ditransitive verb or resultative verb and that complements the direct object of the sentence by describing it. Object complements are constituents of the predicate. Noun phrases and adjective phrases most frequently function as object complements.

Examples

The object complement is bold in the following examples:

• She painted the barn red. – Adjective as object complement

Here, painted is an attributive ditransitive verb. The direct object is the barn. The object complement construction allows for the combination of the sentences She painted the barn and The barn was painted red.

• He considers you a friend. – Noun phrase as object complement

Here, considers is an attributive ditransitive verb. The direct object is you. The object complement construction allows for the combination of the sentences He considers you and You are a friend.

Attributive Ditransitive Verbs and Object Complements

An attributive ditransitive verb (also known as a resultative verb) is a transitive verb that takes a direct object and an object complement (objective complement). An object complement (OC) is a word, phrase, or clause that directly follows and describes or completes the direct object. In English, object complements always follow the direct object. Noun phrases and adjective phrases most commonly function as object complements, but verb phrases, noun clauses, and prepositional phrases can also serve as object complements. Object complements are part of the predicate.

For example:

• We consider her unworthy.
• My babies made me a mother.
• My children call my father Papa.
• The waiter wiped the table clean.
• The board appointed her secretary.
• The gardeners painted the roses red.
• The lawyer proved the defendant guilty.
• The rock star got the audience too excited.
• The judge ruled the defendant out of order.
• The citizens elected Sanjay Gupta the new mayor.

Some common attributive ditransitive verbs include:

• appoint
• call
• color
• consider
• decorate
• designate
• elect
• find
• get
• keep
• make
• name
• paint
• prove
• rule

Object Complements and Subject Complements

Object complements are related to subject complements. A subject complement describes and completes the subject of a sentence, while an object complement describes and completes the direct object.

For example, in the sentence "The waiter wiped the table," the noun phrase "the table" is the direct object. In "The table is clean," the adjective phrase "clean" functions as the subject complement. The object complement construction allows the combination of "The waiter wiped the table" and "The table is clean" into the single sentence: "The waiter wiped the table clean." Here, the subject complement ("clean") moves into the object complement position.

Similarly, in "The gardeners painted the roses red," the noun phrase "the roses" is the direct object, and the adjective phrase "red" is the object complement. The sentence contains two propositions: "The gardeners painted the roses" and "The roses were painted red." The object complement construction allows "red" (from "The roses were painted red") to shift into the object complement position in "The gardeners painted the roses red."

See also

• Direct object
• Complement (linguistics)
• Object (grammar)
• Predicate (grammar)
• Predicative expression
• Resultative
• Subject complement