What is an Object Complement?

S2-SA1-0101

Grade Level:

Class 2

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

An object complement is a word or phrase that renames or describes the direct object of a sentence. It comes after the direct object and completes its meaning, giving us more information about it.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine your teacher says, 'We elected Rohan our class monitor.' Here, 'Rohan' is the direct object (the person elected). 'Our class monitor' describes Rohan and tells us what he became. So, 'our class monitor' is the object complement.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's find the object complement in the sentence: "The team considered their captain a hero."

1. First, find the verb: The verb is 'considered'.
---2. Next, find the subject (who or what considered?): 'The team' is the subject.
---3. Now, find the direct object (what did the team consider?): They considered 'their captain'. So, 'their captain' is the direct object.
---4. Finally, find the word or phrase that describes or renames 'their captain': 'a hero' describes what the captain was considered.
---5. Therefore, 'a hero' is the object complement.

Answer: The object complement is 'a hero'.

Why It Matters

Understanding object complements helps you write clearer and more descriptive sentences, which is crucial in journalism and literature. Lawyers use precise language, including complements, to avoid confusion in legal documents. Good communication in any career, from social sciences to marketing, relies on using such structures effectively.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Confusing an object complement with an adverb. Students might think 'quickly' in 'They painted the wall quickly' is an object complement. | CORRECTION: An object complement describes or renames the direct object, it doesn't describe how the action was done. 'Quickly' describes the action (verb), not the object (wall).

MISTAKE: Mistaking a subject complement for an object complement. Students might think 'She is happy' has an object complement 'happy'. | CORRECTION: 'Happy' in 'She is happy' describes the subject 'She', making it a subject complement. An object complement always describes the direct object.

MISTAKE: Not identifying the direct object first. If you don't find the direct object, you can't find its complement. | CORRECTION: Always find the verb, then the subject, then the direct object before looking for an object complement. The object complement *must* follow the direct object.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Identify the object complement in: "We named our new puppy Max." | ANSWER: Max

QUESTION: Which phrase is the object complement in: "The students voted their principal the best leader." | ANSWER: the best leader

QUESTION: Create a sentence where 'a champion' acts as an object complement for the direct object 'him'. | ANSWER: (Example) The coach declared him a champion.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

In the sentence: "The jury found the defendant guilty," what is the object complement?

The jury

found

the defendant

guilty

The Correct Answer Is:

Guilty' describes the direct object 'the defendant', telling us what the jury found him to be. The other options are the subject, verb, and direct object respectively.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you read news headlines like 'IPL team calls new player a star performer', 'a star performer' is an object complement. Journalists use these to quickly give more information about the subject of the news, making their reports clear and impactful for millions of readers across India.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

DIRECT OBJECT: The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb | COMPLEMENT: A word or phrase that completes the meaning of another word or phrase | VERB: A word that describes an action or a state of being | SUBJECT: The person or thing performing the action of the verb

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Great job understanding object complements! Next, you can explore 'Subject Complements'. Knowing both will help you identify how different parts of a sentence work together to create complete and meaningful thoughts.