Object Complement | Examples & Definition
An object complement is a noun or adjective that follows a direct object to describe or rename it (e.g., “That makes me angry”).
Object complements are essential to the meaning of the sentence. If they are removed, the sentence is incomplete (e.g., “That makes me”).
They are going to name the baby Ivan.
The neighborhood elected Caroline president of the homeowners’ association.
I don’t consider myself worthy of this honor.
What is an object complement?
An object complement is a word or phrase that comes after the direct object and describes or renames it.
A direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb (e.g., “She passed the ball”). It answers the question “what?” or “who?” Object complements give essential information about the direct object.
The new rules made all the students angry.
Evan’s classmates named him “most likely to succeed.”
Object complements can be a noun, noun phrase, adjective, or adjective phrase. In rare circumstances, a pronoun is used as the object complement (e.g., “I consider the dog mine”).
Because object complements always appear with a direct object, they are only used with transitive verbs. Certain transitive verbs frequently take an object complement, specifically those that have meanings related to changing something’s state, describing something, or naming something.
| Verb | Example sentence with object complement |
|---|---|
| make | Cupcakes make me so happy. |
| get | Don’t get your shoes muddy. |
| turn | The dye turned my hair orange. |
| call | Please call me Liz. |
| find | Do you find this speaker interesting? |
| pronounce | Everyone always pronounces my name Tare-uh, but it’s actually Tar-uh. |
| consider | The committee considers Logan the best person for the job. |
| appoint | The president appointed Senator Singh Secretary of State. |
| paint | I painted my nails bright yellow. |
| deem | Officials deemed the runner ineligible. |
| elect | Voters elected Felipe president of the school board. |
The subject + verb + direct object + object complement sentence structure is quite common in English. In most cases, the object complement cannot be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence or making it incomplete. For example, “Please call me” has a completely different meaning than “Please call me Liz.”
Object complements vs subject complements
Both object complements and subject complements describe or rename a noun or pronoun. However, subject complements follow a linking verb to describe the subject of a sentence, while object complements follow and describe a direct object.
| Object complement examples | Subject complement examples |
|---|---|
| Running makes me tired. | I am tired. |
| Let’s paint the walls blue. | The walls are blue. |
| The committee named Yvonne chair. | Yvonne is the chair of the committee. |
There are many different types of subject complements, including predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives, prepositional phrases, and adverbial phrases.
Object complements vs indirect objects
Another common sentence structure in English is subject + verb + indirect object + direct object (e.g., “My mom sent me flowers”). In this case, “flowers” is the direct object. It answers the question “What was sent?” “Me” is the indirect object, as it answers the question “To whom were the flowers sent?”
Sentences that have direct objects can have either an indirect object or an object complement (or neither) but not both.
| Object complement examples | Indirect object examples |
|---|---|
| I want to name the baby Leo. | The doctor handed me the baby. |
| Elena made me very frustrated. | Elena made me a cake. |
| I find this dress so cute. | I found you a dress. |
Frequently asked questions about object complements
- What’s the difference between a subject complement and an object complement?
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Both object complements and subject complements rename or describe a noun or pronoun.
- Subject complements come after a linking verb and describe the subject of a sentence.
- Object complements come after and describe a direct object.
Object complementsvs subject complements Object complement examples Subject complement examples That makes me sad. I am sad. Let’s paint our nails blue. Our nails are blue. The state elected her governor. She is the governor. QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you use subject and object complements correctly.
- Is an object complement a noun?
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An object complement can be a noun, noun phrase, adjective, or adjective phrase (or, in rare cases, a pronoun).
Object complements follow a direct object and describe or rename it.
Object complement examples Part of speech Object complement example Noun They appointed me president. Noun phrase I consider her the perfect teacher. Adjective The chlorine turned my hair green. Adjective phrase The critic found the book trite and predictable. QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you ensure you’re using object complements correctly.
