Exploring Subject Complements in Sentences

Understanding subject complements is essential for mastering sentence structures and improving your writing and communication skills. A subject complement is a part of a sentence that follows a linking verb and renames or re-describes the subject.

In the sentence The boy is a student, the boy is the subject and student is the subject complement.

What is a Subject Complement?

A subject complement is any word or words, other than the object of a verb, that follow a linking verb (such as is, are, was, were, become, seem, look, appear, etc.) and renames or more fully describes the subject of the sentence. Linking verbs serve as a connection between the subject and the subject complement.

Examples of Subject Complements

Let's consider a few examples to clarify:

I am the owner

Here, owner is the subject complement and a noun that renames the subject I.

She was my boss

Boss is the subject complement that fully describes she.

He will be the winner

Winner is the subject complement that describes him as someone who will win.

Jack has become our leader

Leader is the subject complement describing the new state of Jack.

The teacher is my mother

Mother is the subject complement that renames the subject the teacher.

In these examples, the subject verb is, was, will be, has become, is are all linking verbs, and the words following them (owner, boss, winner, leader, mother) are the subject complements.

Question Forms and Subject Complements

When forming questions, the subject complement typically follows the question word:

Is he the captain?

Captain is the subject complement.

Were they your friends?

Friends is the subject complement.

Can they be our partners?

Partners is the subject complement. Note that the subject they may come before the subject complement in some contexts.

It's important to note that the subject can split the finite verb (usually a form of to be) and the infinitive (beginning with to) in certain cases, as in Will you be his tutor?

Subject Complement and Declensions

In languages with declensions (changes in word form to express grammatical categories such as case, tense, and number), the subject and the complement would both be in the nominative case. This is exemplified by JFK said “Ich bin ein Berliner”, meaning “I am a Berliner,” where both Ich (I) and Berliner (Berliner) are in the nominative case rather than the accusative.

Reversing the Order

You can also reverse the order of the subject and the subject complement, and the sentence will still convey the same meaning:

The student is a boy

Now, student is the subject, and boy is the subject complement. The message remains the same: the boy is a student.

It’s important to remember that the subject complement always follows a linking verb, and cannot follow any other verb in the sentence.

Understanding subject complements is crucial for accurate grammar and will help you communicate more effectively.