Subject Complement | Examples & Definition
A subject complement is the word or phrase that completes the meaning of a linking verb by describing or identifying the subject of the sentence. QuillBot’s free AI Chat can help you identify subject complements in sentences.
Her favorite sport is soccer. [Subject complement: a noun identifying the subject]
That doesn’t sound right. [Subject complement: an adjective describing the subject]
The boys became friends. [Subject complement: a noun identifying the subject]
The problem is that we’re running out of time. [Subject complement: a noun clause identifying the subject]
Table of contents
What is a subject complement?
Subject complements complete the meaning of a linking verb (aka copular verb or complement verb) by describing or identifying the subject. Object complements, on the other hand, describe or identify direct objects.
In terms of parts of speech, subject complements can be nouns or noun phrases (predicate nominatives) and adjectives or adjective phrases (predicate adjectives), as well as other kinds of phrases that function to identify or describe the subject of a linking verb.
Subject complements are not a type of direct or indirect object—linking verbs do not take direct or indirect objects.
| Example | Type of phrase or clause |
|---|---|
| The weather suddenly got much colder here last week. | Adjective phrase |
| It was by far the tallest tree in the whole orchard. | Noun phrase |
| The topic can be whatever you want. | Noun clause |
| The keys are in the bowl like always. | Prepositional phrase |
| This process seems to work well in practice. | Infinitive phrase |
The most common linking verb is “be” (including forms like “is,” “are,” “was,” and “were”).
Another common linking verb is “become.” When “get” is used to mean “become,” it also functions as a linking verb (e.g., “It’s getting lighter now”).
Some verbs can act as linking verbs in some contexts but not in others (e.g., “look,” “taste,” “feel,” etc.). One useful test to check if these verbs are being used as linking verbs is to substitute the verb with “be.” If the sentence still makes sense, the verb is likely functioning as a linking verb in that context. For example:
- He looked both ways and crossed the street. → He was both ways and crossed the street. [This doesn’t make sense; the verb is not a linking verb in this context.]
- The cake looks real. → The cake is real. [This does make sense; the verb is a linking verb in this context.]
FAQs for the article Subject Complement
- 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.
- What’s the difference between a predicate noun and a predicate adjective?
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Predicate nouns are also known as predicate nominatives. They are a type of subject complement—they follow linking verbs to identify or redefine the subject. They are always nouns or pronouns (e.g., “Winston is a plumber”).
Predicate adjectives are also subject complements, but they are adjectives or adjective phrases that describe the subject (e.g., “Winston is funny”).
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Challenger, T. (2025, December 08). Subject Complement | Examples & Definition. Quillbot. Retrieved December 8, 2025, from https://quillbot.com/blog/sentence-and-word-structure/subject-complement/
