Daniel Kies Department of English College of DuPage
Modern English Grammar English 2126		Contact Form

The Object Complement
[Object Predicative]

Note: Labels of the clause-level functions have changed. These pages use both

• the terminology of Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., and Svartvik, J. (1985) Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, Longman. (CGEL)

and

• the teminology of the most recent version of that grammar — Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., and Finegan, E. (2021) Grammar of Spoken and Written English, John Benjamins. (GSWE)

since many textbooks and school grammars currently use either one set of terminology or the other.

In these pages, I will place the GSWE labels in square brackets after the CGEL labels, as in subject complement [subject predicative] and SC [SP].

Mapping clause function labels between CGEL and GSWE
CGEL (1985)	GSWE (2021)
Subject[S]	Subject[S]
Verb[V]	Verb[V]
Direct object[DO]	Object	Direct object[DO]
Indirect object[IO]		Indirect object[IO]
Subject complement[SC]	Predicative	Subject predicative[SP]
Object complement[OC]		Object predicative[OP]
Adverbial[A]	Adverbial	Optional adverbial[OpA]
Adverbial complement[AC]		Obligatory adverbial[ObA]

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The object complement [object predicative] completes a reference (and/or an implication suggested by) the object of the clause. The object complement [object predicative] is identifiable by its form, position, reference, and agreement.

Form. Object complements [object predicatives] are most usually noun phrases or adjective phrases, although a clause may assume this function on occasion.

They elected her Chair of the department (OC [OP]).

We find this music most pleasant (OC [OP]).

Position. Object complements [object predicatives] only occur if there is an object in the clause and then occur normally after that object.

They elected her Chair of the department (OC [OP]).

*They elected Chair of the department (OC [OP]).

*They elected Chair of the department (OC [OP]) her.

And unlike objects themselves, object complements [object predicatives] do not have any passive voice corresponding clauses, in which the complement appears in the subject position.

*Chair of the department was elected her by them.

Reference. Since all complements [predicatives] imply a reference, object complements [object predicatives] complete a reference to the object of the clause. There is in effect a copular relation that exists between the object and its complement [predicative], in that the object and its complement [predicative] can be paraphrased by a S-V-C [S-V-P] structure, like this:

They elected her (DO) Chair of the department (OC [OP]).

She (S) is Chair of the department (SC [SP]).

Agreement. Object complements [object predicatives] usually agree with the object in number (singular or plural).

She made Liz and Emily (DO) her assistants (OC [OP]).

She made Frank (DO) her assistant (OC [OP]).

REFERENCES

Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., and Finegan, E. (2021). Grammar of Spoken and Written English. John Benjamins.

Curme, G. (1931). A Grammar of the English Language, 2 volumes. D. C. Heath and Company.

Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). Introduction to Functional Grammar, 2nd ed. Edward Arnold.

Quirk, R., S. Greenbaum, G. Leech, and J. Svartvik. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.

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