Predicate Complement

Test for identifying predicative complements in English

• A predicative complement (PC) follows a 'linking verb' (copula verb): be, look, seem, appear, remain, etc.
This is [a good idea]PC.
Pat will always remain [a good friend]PC.
The committee elected John [chairman]PC.
Pat considered Kim [a genius]PC.
• Passivization: A predicative complement cannot be passivized
*A genius was considered Kim by Pat.
Compare with passivization of the direct object:
Kim was considered a genius by Pat.

Categories and structural position

• The predicative complement can be any major phrase (NP, AP, PP, VP)
• If there is a direct object, the predicative complement follows the direct object.
I consider [my colleague]DObj [a good sport]PC.
• The predicative complement is a sister to V and a daughter to VP.
Example: _S_ / \ / AuxP / / \ subj / __VP___ / / / \ / / / pred.comp / / / \ NP Aux V _______NP________ /__\ | | /_________________\ Pat will become president of the US.


1. The predicate
   
2. The subject
   
3. The complements
   
   1. The direct object
      
   2. The indirect object
      
   3. The predicative complement
      
   4. The oblique complement
      
4. Modifiers (Adjuncts)
   




  ← Indirect Object        ↑ Grammatical Functions          → Oblique Complement