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The Object Complement PatternsEd McCorduckEnglish 402--GrammarSUNY Cortland http://mccorduck.cortland.edu

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As discussed in the Verb Patterns and the Be Patterns lecture and in the Linking Verbs lecture, a subject complement (subj comp) refers to the same entity as or attributes a property to the subject of a sentence. For example, in the sentences Beelzebub is evil and Beelzebub is a demon, both the adjective evil in the first sentence and the noun phrase a demon in the second refer to their respective subjects, i.e., in both cases Beelzebub. The sentences are likewise diagrammed in similar ways with the headwords of these subject complements on the main line as the verb and separated from it by a slanted line:

slide 2: review of subject complementsEnglish 402: Grammar

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slide 3: Reed-Kellogg diagraming of subject complements reviewedEnglish 402: Grammar

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Similarly, direct objects can also be followed by slots whose occupants co-refer to the same entity as the object. Words and phrases that can fill these slots are called object complements (obj comp).

slide 4: definition of object complementsEnglish 402: Grammar

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Pattern IX

NP1V-tr NP2 ADJ(subj)(pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp)

in this pattern, the ADJ refers to the same entity as the NP2

slide 5: Pattern IXEnglish 402: Grammar

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exx

I | consider | that | ridiculous.(cf. That is ridiculous)NP1 V-tr NP2ADJ

She | likes | her men | hot.(cf. Her men are hot)NP1 V-tr NP2 ADJ

Catnip | drives | my little kitties | absolutely nuts. NP1 V-tr NP2 ADJ

slide 6: examples of Pattern IX sentencesEnglish 402: Grammar

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Pattern X

NP1V-tr NP2 NP2(subj)(pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp)

in this pattern, the second NP2 functions as object complement, i.e., it has the same referent as the direct object

slide 7: Pattern XEnglish 402: Grammar

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exx

I | consider | him | a nutjob.(cf. He is a nutjob)NP1 V-tr NP2 NP2

They | called | it | the greatest thing since sliced bread. NP1 V-tr NP2 NP2

The club | has named | Ebeneezer | (the) treasurer. NP1 V-tr NP2 NP2

slide 8: examples of Pattern X sentencesEnglish 402: Grammar

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Other verbs that can occur in Pattern IX and X sentences (sometimes in only one of the patterns or the other) are find, elect, leave, make and prefer.

slide 9: verbs that can appear in Pattern IX and/or Pattern X sentencesEnglish 402: Grammar

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In Reed-Kellogg diagrams, object complements are indicated like subject complements, i.e., their headwords occur on the main line preceded by a slanted line, but because these complements modify not the subject but the direct object they always immediately follow the direct object (as they do in surface structure). As an illustration, here is the diagram of the sentence I consider that ridiculous where the adjective ridiculous is an object complement:

slide 10: Reed-Kellogg diagrams of sentences with object complementsEnglish 402: Grammar

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slide 11: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern IX sentenceEnglish 402: Grammar

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And here is the diagram of the sentence I consider him a nutjob where the noun phrase a nutjob is an object complement:

slide 12: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern X sentenceEnglish 402: Grammar

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