In writing, it is helpful to know the ingredients of a strong sentence. In sentences that contain linking verbs, one important component is a subject complement. We will learn all about subject complements in this lesson.
Complements
Don't you love it when you find just the right necklace or scarf to make your outfit perfect? Or what about when you have gone out to dinner and had a good meal, and then gotten a dessert that made the meal absolutely amazing? It's great when things like that happen, right? Well, that necklace or scarf has complemented the outfit and that dessert has complemented the meal.
If you look closely at the word complement, you may be reminded of the word complete. A complement is something that completes or finishes something else - a complement makes it better. Just like an accessory can complete an outfit and a dessert can complete a meal, making them better, a subject complement adds information that makes the subject of the sentence more complete.
Before we explore some examples, let's review a couple of key terms.
Terms To Know
The subject of a sentence tells who or what the sentence is about. The subject can be a noun, pronoun, or group of words that acts as a noun.
Christina baked a cake. The subject in this sentence is Christina.
A linking verb expresses a state of being and connects the subject to a subject complement. Linking verbs are often forms of the verb be. Some other linking verbs include: appear, seem, feel, sound, become.
Pablo is hungry. The linking verb in this sentence is is.
What Is a Subject Complement?
A subject complement is a word that comes after a linking verb and renames, identifies, or describes the subject. There are two main types of subject complements: predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives.
Predicate Nominatives
A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that comes after the linking verb. It can rename or identify the subject. Look at these sentences. Can you find a predicate nominative?
Maria Luisa is my neighbor.
In this sentence, Maria Luisa is the subject. The linking verb is is. The word neighbor is a noun that identifies Maria Luisa. Neighbor is the predicate nominative. Maria Luisa = Neighbor.
Keith's uncle was his soccer coach.
The subject of this sentence is uncle. There is a linking verb, was. The noun coach is a predicate nominative that renames uncle. Uncle = Coach.