subject complement (FE)

What is Subject complement ?

A word or phrase that follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject of the sentence.

It completes the subject.

· Key: Always comes after a linking verb (be, seem, become, feel, appear, etc.)

The 2 Main Types

1. Predicate Nominative (Predicate Noun): A noun or pronoun that renames/identifies the subject.

· Example: She is a doctor.

2. Predicate Adjective: An adjective that describes the subject.

· Example: He seems happy.

Linking Verb Signal

(How to Spot One)

Subject complements only follow linking verbs, not action verbs.

Common Linking Verbs:

· "To be" verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been

· Sense verbs: appear, become, feel, grow, look, seem, smell, sound, taste

· State-of-being verbs: remain, stay

Test: Replace the verb with "is" or "are." If the sentence still makes sense, it's likely a linking verb.

Predicate Nominative Examples

The complement is a noun/pronoun = renames the subject.

· My best friend is Sarah. (Sarah = friend)

· The winners are they. (they = winners)

· He became a supervisor. (supervisor = he)

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Predicate Adjective Examples

The complement is an adjective = describes the subject.

· The sky appears cloudy. (cloudy describes sky)

· I feel energetic. (energetic describes I)

· Her explanation sounded plausible. (plausible describes explanation)

Trick: The "Equals" Test

To check if something is a subject complement, see if you can put an equals sign (=) between the subject and the complement.

· My cat is a Siamese. → My cat = a Siamese. ✔ (Predicate Nominative)

· The soup smells delicious. → The soup = delicious? No (It describes, not renames—but it's still a Predicate Adjective! This test is best for nouns.)

Common Mistake Alert!

Not a Subject Complement: A word after an action verb is a direct object, not a subject complement.

· Linking Verb: She is a lawyer. ("lawyer" is a subject complement—renames she)

· Action Verb: She called a lawyer. ("lawyer" is a direct object—receives the action

Quick Summary & Mnemonic

S.C. = Completes the Subject

Formula:Subject + Linking Verb + Subject Complement

Two Kinds:Name it (Predicate Nominative) or Describe it (Predicate Adjective).

Mnemonic: "SC follows LV to complete the Sub."