Understanding the Opposite of a Complement in Grammar

In grammar, a complement is a word, phrase, or clause that is necessary to complete the meaning of a given expression. While we often focus on the complement itself, understanding what *doesn’t* act as a complement can be equally enlightening. For example, modifiers like adjectives (e.g., red in “the red car”) or adverbs (e.g., quickly in “he ran quickly”) are distinct from complements. Additionally, elements such as interjections (e.g., “Wow!”) and coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and” in “cats and dogs”) do not function as complements. Recognizing these distinctions helps to clarify the role of complements in sentence structure, which is crucial for accurate and effective communication. This article will delve into what constitutes the opposite of a complement, providing clarity and examples to enhance your grammatical understanding.

Table of Contents

1. Definition of a Complement and Its Opposite
2. Structural Breakdown of Complements
3. Types of Complements
   • Subject Complements
   • Object Complements
   • Adjective Complements
   • Preposition Complements
4. Examples of Complements and Non-Complements
5. Usage Rules for Complements
6. Common Mistakes with Complements
7. Practice Exercises
8. Advanced Topics
9. FAQ
10. Conclusion

Definition of a Complement and Its Opposite

In grammatical terms, a complement is a word, phrase, or clause that provides essential information to complete the meaning of a subject, verb, or object. It is a necessary part of a sentence that adds crucial context. Without the complement, the sentence would be incomplete or unclear. Complements are typically found after linking verbs or transitive verbs. For example, in the sentence “She is a doctor,” the phrase “a doctor” is a subject complement because it provides information about the subject “she.”

The “opposite of a complement” isn’t a formally defined grammatical term. Instead, it refers to elements that, while they may add detail or modify the meaning of a sentence, are not essential for completing its core meaning. These elements are typically adjuncts, modifiers, or other non-essential parts of the sentence. Examples include adverbs that modify verbs (e.g., “He ran quickly“), adjectives that modify nouns (e.g., “the blue car”), and prepositional phrases that provide additional information but are not required for the sentence to be grammatically complete (e.g., “He lives in London“).

To clarify, if removing a word or phrase doesn’t fundamentally change the grammatical correctness or core meaning of the sentence, it is likely not a complement. Understanding this distinction is key to mastering sentence structure and avoiding common grammatical errors.

Structural Breakdown of Complements

Complements play a crucial role in sentence structure. They typically follow a verb and provide essential information about the subject or object. The structure of a complement can vary depending on the type of verb and the information it conveys.

Subject Complements: These follow linking verbs (such as be, seem, become) and describe or identify the subject. They can be nouns, pronouns, or adjectives. For example:

• “She is a teacher.” (noun)
• “It was he.” (pronoun)
• “The sky is blue.” (adjective)

Object Complements: These follow direct objects and describe or rename them. They are typically nouns or adjectives. Object complements usually occur with verbs like make, consider, find, and elect. For example:

• “They elected him president.” (noun)
• “She painted the door red.” (adjective)

Adverbial Modifiers (Non-Complements): These modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing information about time, place, manner, or degree. They are not essential for the sentence’s grammatical correctness. For example:

• “He ran quickly.” (manner)
• “She lives in London.” (place)
• “I will see you tomorrow.” (time)

Adjectival Modifiers (Non-Complements): These modify nouns, providing descriptive information. They are not essential for the sentence’s grammatical correctness. For example:

• “The red car is mine.”
• “She has a beautiful dress.”

Types of Complements

Complements can be categorized based on the element they complete. The main types are subject complements, object complements, adjective complements, and preposition complements.

Subject Complements

Subject complements follow linking verbs and describe or identify the subject of the sentence. They provide essential information about the subject’s state, condition, or identity. Common linking verbs include be (is, are, was, were), seem, become, appear, look, feel, taste, smell, and sound.

Examples:

• “The soup tastes delicious.” (adjective)
• “He is a lawyer.” (noun)
• “She seems happy.” (adjective)
• “They are students.” (noun)
• “It became dark.” (adjective)

Object Complements

Object complements follow the direct object and describe or rename it. They are typically nouns or adjectives and are used with verbs that express a transformation or judgment. Common verbs used with object complements include make, consider, find, elect, call, and paint.

Examples:

• “They elected her president.” (noun)
• “She painted the walls blue.” (adjective)
• “We consider him a friend.” (noun)
• “The jury found him guilty.” (adjective)
• “I made him king.” (noun)

Adjective Complements

Adjective complements are phrases or clauses that follow adjectives and complete their meaning. These complements often begin with prepositions (e.g., of, about, that) or are infinitive phrases. Adjective complements provide additional information about the adjective’s quality or state.

Examples:

• “I am glad that you came.” (clause)
• “She is afraid of heights.” (prepositional phrase)
• “He is eager to learn.” (infinitive phrase)
• “They were happy to see us.” (infinitive phrase)
• “We are certain of success.” (prepositional phrase)

Preposition Complements

Preposition complements are the nouns or pronouns (along with their modifiers) that follow a preposition to form a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase then acts as an adjective or adverb, modifying other parts of the sentence.

Examples:

• “The book is on the table.” (noun phrase)
• “She walked to the store.” (noun phrase)
• “He sat beside her.” (pronoun)
• “They arrived after the party.” (noun phrase)
• “We talked about the problem.” (noun phrase)

Examples of Complements and Non-Complements

To further illustrate the difference between complements and non-complements, consider the following examples:

Table 1: Subject Complements vs. Adverbial Modifiers

This table highlights the contrast between subject complements, which are essential for defining the subject, and adverbial modifiers, which add extra information but are not necessary for the sentence’s core meaning.

Sentence	Complement (Subject)	Non-Complement (Adverbial Modifier)
“She is a talented artist.”	a talented artist	N/A
“He seems tired today.”	tired	today
“The weather became cold suddenly.”	cold	suddenly
“They are students in this class.”	students	in this class
“It was dark outside.”	dark	outside
“The food tastes delicious always.”	delicious	always
“He remained silent during the meeting.”	silent	during the meeting
“She appears happy now.”	happy	now
“The music sounds beautiful in the hall.”	beautiful	in the hall
“The sky looks clear tonight.”	clear	tonight
“The soup smells great in the kitchen.”	great	in the kitchen
“He is a doctor at the hospital.”	a doctor	at the hospital
“She seems intelligent usually.”	intelligent	usually
“The cake became stale quickly.”	stale	quickly
“They are friends since childhood.”	friends	since childhood
“It was late yesterday.”	late	yesterday
“The coffee tastes bitter today.”	bitter	today
“He stayed calm despite the chaos.”	calm	despite the chaos
“She appears confident onstage.”	confident	onstage
“The movie sounds interesting from the reviews.”	interesting	from the reviews
“The flower looks fresh on the table.”	fresh	on the table
“The bread smells delicious in the oven.”	delicious	in the oven
“He is a teacher by profession.”	a teacher	by profession
“She seems worried lately.”	worried	lately
“The milk became sour overnight.”	sour	overnight
“They are neighbors for many years.”	neighbors	for many years
“It was cold last night.”	cold	last night
“The tea tastes sweet always.”	sweet	always
“He remained silent throughout the movie.”	silent	throughout the movie

Table 2: Object Complements vs. Adjectival Modifiers

This table illustrates the difference between object complements, which rename or describe the direct object, and adjectival modifiers, which provide additional descriptive details but are not essential to the sentence’s core meaning.

Sentence	Complement (Object)	Non-Complement (Adjectival Modifier)
“They elected him president.”	president	N/A
“She painted the door red.”	red	N/A
“We consider him a friend.”	a friend	N/A
“The jury found him guilty.”	guilty	N/A
“I made him king.”	king	N/A
“They appointed her director.”	director	N/A
“She named her dog Lucky.”	Lucky	N/A
“We consider the project a success.”	a success	N/A
“The committee declared the results valid.”	valid	N/A
“They found the evidence damning.”	damning	N/A
“She made the coffee strong.”	strong	N/A
“They elected her captain.”	captain	N/A
“She painted the house blue.”	blue	N/A
“We consider him a hero.”	a hero	N/A
“The jury found him innocent.”	innocent	N/A
“I made him leader.”	leader	N/A
“They appointed her manager.”	manager	N/A
“She named her cat Whiskers.”	Whiskers	N/A
“We consider the event a triumph.”	a triumph	N/A
“The committee declared the decision final.”	final	N/A
“They found the situation hopeless.”	hopeless	N/A
“She made tea sweet.”	sweet	N/A
“They elected him treasurer.”	treasurer	N/A
“She painted the fence white.”	white	N/A
“We consider him a genius.”	a genius	N/A
“The jury found him responsible.”	responsible	N/A
“I made him director.”	director	N/A
“They appointed her advisor.”	advisor	N/A
“She named her car Lightning.”	Lightning	N/A

Table 3: Adjective Complements vs. Adverbial Phrases

This table distinguishes between adjective complements, which complete the meaning of an adjective, and adverbial phrases, which modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs but are not essential to the adjective’s core meaning.

Sentence	Complement (Adjective)	Non-Complement (Adverbial Phrase)
“I am glad that you came.”	that you came	N/A
“She is afraid of heights.”	of heights	N/A
“He is eager to learn.”	to learn	N/A
“They were happy to see us.”	to see us	N/A
“We are certain of success.”	of success	N/A
“She was aware that he knew.”	that he knew	N/A
“He is keen on sports.”	on sports	N/A
“I am ready for anything.”	for anything	N/A
“They are hopeful about the future.”	about the future	N/A
“She is proud of her achievements.”	of her achievements	N/A
“He is good at painting.”	at painting	N/A
“I am sorry for the mistake.”	for the mistake	N/A
“She is grateful for the help.”	for the help	N/A
“He is skilled in music.”	in music	N/A
“They are famous for their work.”	for their work	N/A
“She was surprised by the news.”	by the news	N/A
“He is interested in science.”	in science	N/A
“I am tired of waiting.”	of waiting	N/A
“They are excited about the trip.”	about the trip	N/A
“She is responsible for the event.”	for the event	N/A
“He is bad at cooking.”	at cooking	N/A
“I am happy with the results.”	with the results	N/A
“She is thankful for the opportunity.”	for the opportunity	N/A
“He is talented in writing.”	in writing	N/A
“They are known for their kindness.”	for their kindness	N/A
“She was shocked by the accident.”	by the accident	N/A
“He is engaged in research.”	in research	N/A
“I am bored of studying.”	of studying	N/A

Usage Rules for Complements

Using complements correctly is essential for clear and grammatically sound writing. Here are some key usage rules:

1. Subject Complements: Use subject complements with linking verbs to describe or identify the subject. Ensure that the complement agrees in number with the subject. For example, “They are doctors” (plural subject, plural complement).
2. Object Complements: Use object complements after the direct object to describe or rename it. The object complement should relate directly to the direct object. For example, “We made him captain.”
3. Adjective Complements: Use adjective complements to complete the meaning of an adjective. These often follow prepositions or are infinitive phrases. For example, “She is happy to help.”
4. Preposition Complements: Always include a complement after a preposition to form a prepositional phrase. The complement can be a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. For example, “The book is on the table.”
5. Avoid Misidentifying Modifiers: Be careful not to confuse modifiers (such as adverbs and adjectives) with complements. Modifiers add extra information but are not essential to the sentence’s core meaning.

Common Mistakes with Complements

Several common mistakes can occur when using complements. Understanding these errors can help you improve your grammatical accuracy.

Table 4: Common Mistakes with Complements

This table presents common errors in the use of complements, along with corrected examples to illustrate the proper usage.

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
“She is seems happy.”	“She seems happy.”	The verb “seems” is a linking verb and requires a subject complement (“happy”).
“They elected him is president.”	“They elected him president.”	The verb “elected” requires an object complement (“president”) to describe the direct object (“him”).
“I am glad for you came.”	“I am glad that you came.”	The adjective “glad” requires a clause beginning with “that” as its complement.
“The book is on.”	“The book is on the table.”	The preposition “on” requires a noun phrase (“the table”) as its complement.
“He considers her intelligent always.”	“He always considers her intelligent.”	Adverbs like “always” should be placed carefully to avoid disrupting the complement structure.
“She painted the door is red.”	“She painted the door red.”	The verb ‘painted’ requires an object complement (‘red’) to describe the direct object (‘the door’).
“I am afraid from spiders.”	“I am afraid of spiders.”	The correct preposition to use with ‘afraid’ is ‘of’.
“They made him be a leader.”	“They made him a leader.”	The object complement ‘a leader’ directly follows the direct object ‘him’ without the unnecessary ‘be’.
“We are certain to win always.”	“We are always certain to win.”	Adverbs of frequency like “always” should be placed carefully to avoid disrupting the complement structure.
“The movie was interesting very much.”	“The movie was very interesting.”	Adverbs of degree like “very” should properly modify the adjective.
“She seems is happy.”	“She seems happy.”	The linking verb “seems” already implies a state of being, so “is” is redundant.
“They found him to be guilty.”	“They found him guilty.”	The phrase “to be” is unnecessary after the verb “found” when using an object complement.
“He is eager for learn.”	“He is eager to learn.”	The correct form is the infinitive “to learn” after the adjective “eager.”
“I am grateful for you help me.”	“I am grateful that you helped me.”	The correct complement for “grateful” is a clause introduced by “that.”
“She named her cat it Whiskers.”	“She named her cat Whiskers.”	The pronoun “it” is unnecessary and disrupts the object complement structure.
“They consider him as a friend.”	“They consider him a friend.”	The word “as” is unnecessary after the verb “consider” when using an object complement.
“He made the room to be clean.”	“He made the room clean.”	The phrase “to be” is unnecessary after the verb “made” when using an object complement.
“I am afraid because spiders.”	“I am afraid of spiders.”	The correct preposition to use with ‘afraid’ is ‘of’.
“They seem be happy.”	“They seem happy.”	The linking verb “seem” already implies a state of being, so “be” is redundant.
“She appointed him to be manager.”	“She appointed him manager.”	The phrase “to be” is unnecessary after the verb “appointed” when using an object complement.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding of complements with these exercises:

Exercise 1: Identifying Complements

Identify the complement in each sentence. Indicate whether it is a subject complement or an object complement.

Question	Answer
1. She is a doctor.	a doctor (subject complement)
2. They elected him president.	president (object complement)
3. The soup tastes delicious.	delicious (subject complement)
4. We consider him a friend.	a friend (object complement)
5. He seems tired.	tired (subject complement)
6. They made her captain.	captain (object complement)
7. The sky is blue.	blue (subject complement)
8. She painted the walls red.	red (object complement)
9. It became dark.	dark (subject complement)
10. The jury found him guilty.	guilty (object complement)

Exercise 2: Completing Sentences with Complements

Complete each sentence with an appropriate complement.

Question	Answer
1. He is _______.	He is a teacher.
2. They consider her _______.	They consider her talented.
3. The coffee tastes _______.	The coffee tastes bitter.
4. She made him _______.	She made him happy.
5. The weather seems _______.	The weather seems pleasant.
6. We elected her _______.	We elected her treasurer.
7. It became _______.	It became clear.
8. They found him _______.	They found him innocent.
9. She is afraid _______.	She is afraid of spiders.
10. We are certain _______.	We are certain of success.

Exercise 3: Correcting Sentences with Incorrect Complements

Correct the sentences below that have incorrect complements.

Question	Answer
1. She is seems happy.	She seems happy.
2. They elected him is president.	They elected him president.
3. I am glad for you came.	I am glad that you came.
4. The book is on.	The book is on the table.
5. He considers her intelligent always.	He always considers her intelligent.
6. She painted the door is red.	She painted the door red.
7. I am afraid from spiders.	I am afraid of spiders.
8. They made him be a leader.	They made him a leader.
9. We are certain to win always.	We are always certain to win.
10. The movie was interesting very much.	The movie was very interesting.

Advanced Topics

For advanced learners, exploring complex complements and their nuances can further enhance grammatical proficiency. Topics include:

• Complex Object Complements: These involve more intricate structures, such as infinitives or gerunds, describing the object. Example: “I consider him to be a great leader.”
• Elliptical Complements: These are complements that are implied but not explicitly stated. Example: “Are you ready? Yes, I am.” (The complement “ready” is implied in the second sentence).
• Embedded Clauses as Complements: Clauses within clauses that function as complements. Example: “She knows that he is coming.”

FAQ

1. What is the difference between a complement and a modifier?

   A complement is essential for completing the meaning of a verb or subject, while a modifier adds extra information but is not necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct. For example, in “She is a doctor,” “a doctor” is a complement. In “She is a good doctor,” “good” is a modifier.

2. How do I identify a subject complement?

   Subject complements follow linking verbs and describe or identify the subject. Look for words or phrases that provide information about the subject’s state, condition, or identity.

3. What are some common linking verbs?

   Common linking verbs include be (is, are, was, were), seem, become, appear, look, feel, taste, smell, and sound.

4. What is an object complement, and how is it used?

   An object complement follows the direct object and describes or renames it. It is typically a noun or adjective and is used with verbs that express a transformation or judgment, such as make, consider, find, and elect.

5. Can a prepositional phrase be a complement?

   Yes, a prepositional phrase can function as an adjective complement, completing the meaning of an adjective. For example, “She is afraid of heights.”

6. What is the difference between a direct object and an object complement?

   A direct object receives the action of the verb, while an object complement describes or renames the direct object. In “They elected him president,” “him” is the direct object, and “president” is the object complement.

7. How do I avoid common mistakes with complements?

   Pay attention to the verb and its required elements. Ensure that the complement agrees with the subject or object it describes. Avoid adding unnecessary words or phrases that disrupt the complement structure.

8. What is an adjective complement?

   An adjective complement is a phrase or clause that follows an adjective and completes its meaning. These often begin with prepositions (e.g., of, about, that) or are infinitive phrases.

Conclusion

Understanding the “opposite” of a complement – that is, recognizing elements that are *not* complements, such as modifiers and adjuncts – is crucial for mastering sentence structure. By distinguishing between essential complements and non-essential modifiers, you can ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity in your writing. Remember that complements are necessary to complete the meaning of a verb or subject, while other elements simply add detail. Practice identifying different types of

complements and non-complements in various sentences to solidify your understanding and improve your writing skills.