Object complement

An object complement is a word or phrase that comes after a direct object and gives extra information about it. In English Grammar and Usage, it often renames or describes the object, as in "They elected him president."

What is object complement?

An object complement is the word or phrase that follows a direct object and completes its meaning by renaming or describing that object. In English Grammar and Usage, it shows up when a verb does more than just act on an object, it also changes what that object is called or what state it is in.

Take the sentence, "They elected him president." Here, "him" is the direct object because it receives the action of the verb "elected." The word "president" is the object complement because it tells you what role or identity the object has after the action. Without that complement, the sentence would still be grammatical, but you would lose a chunk of meaning.

Object complements can be nouns, pronouns, or adjectives. If the complement renames the object, it is often a noun or pronoun. If it describes the object, it is often an adjective, as in "The coach kept the team motivated." In that sentence, "motivated" describes the team, which is the direct object.

This term matters because the complement belongs to the object, not the subject. That is what makes it different from a subject complement. A subject complement follows a linking verb and describes or renames the subject, while an object complement follows a transitive verb and relates back to the direct object.

A good way to spot an object complement is to ask whether the extra word or phrase answers "what?" or "as what?" about the direct object. In "We painted the door red," "red" describes the door. In "The judge declared her winner," "winner" renames "her." If the sentence still makes sense only because that extra piece is there, you are probably looking at an object complement.

Why object complement matters in English Grammar and Usage

Object complements show you how English builds meaning beyond the basic subject-verb-object pattern. A sentence like "The committee named Lee chair" is not just saying that an action happened. It is showing that the action changed Lee's status, identity, or description.

That makes the term useful when you are breaking down sentence structure, especially in units on clauses, phrases, and verb patterns. If you can tell the difference between a direct object and an object complement, you can explain why two sentences with the same verb may mean different things. For example, "They painted the fence" stops at the object, but "They painted the fence blue" adds a result state.

It also helps when you are revising writing. Sometimes a sentence feels flat because it only names the object without showing the result of the action. An object complement can make the sentence more precise, especially with verbs like make, elect, name, call, keep, and consider.

This term also connects to grammar questions that ask you to identify sentence parts correctly. If you mistake the complement for part of the object or for a subject complement, the whole sentence analysis gets thrown off. Knowing the difference gives you a cleaner read on how English packs information into one clause.

How object complement connects across the course

direct object

The direct object receives the action of the verb, and the object complement adds extra information about that object. You usually have to find the direct object first before you can tell whether a following noun or adjective is functioning as a complement. In "They elected him president," "him" is the direct object and "president" is the object complement.

subject complement

A subject complement and an object complement do similar jobs, but they attach to different parts of the sentence. A subject complement follows a linking verb and describes the subject, while an object complement follows a transitive verb and describes or renames the object. That distinction matters when you analyze whether a verb shows action or linking.

verb

Object complements usually appear with certain action verbs that let the object take on a new identity or condition. Verbs like make, call, name, elect, and keep often set up this structure. If you are identifying sentence patterns, the verb helps signal whether the words after the object are completing meaning or just adding unrelated detail.

Sentence

A sentence is where object complements show their job inside a full structure, not as isolated words. When you diagram or parse a sentence, the complement helps you see how the predicate extends beyond the basic action. That makes the whole sentence easier to read for meaning and structure.

Is object complement on the English Grammar and Usage exam?

A quiz item or sentence-analysis question will usually ask you to label the part of the sentence after a direct object. Your job is to decide whether that word or phrase renames or describes the object, or whether it belongs somewhere else in the sentence. In a sentence like "The board named Carlos treasurer," you would identify "Carlos" as the direct object and "treasurer" as the object complement.

You may also be asked to compare similar structures. If the sentence uses a linking verb, the complement is probably a subject complement instead. If the sentence has a direct object but no extra describing or renaming phrase, there may be no object complement at all. The fastest way to check is to ask what the extra word is doing: does it finish the meaning of the object, or does it just sit next to it?

Object complement vs subject complement

These are easy to mix up because both add meaning after a noun. The difference is what noun they connect to. A subject complement links back to the subject after a linking verb, while an object complement links back to the direct object after a transitive verb.

Key things to remember about object complement

• An object complement follows a direct object and renames it or describes it.

• You will usually see object complements with verbs that create a change in status, identity, or condition.

• In "They elected him president," "president" is the object complement because it tells you what "him" became.

• Object complements can be nouns, pronouns, or adjectives, depending on whether they rename or describe the object.

• If the extra word points back to the subject instead of the object, you are probably looking at a subject complement instead.

Frequently asked questions about object complement

What is an object complement in English Grammar and Usage?

An object complement is a word or phrase that follows a direct object and gives more information about it. It often renames the object, as in "They elected him president," or describes it, as in "We painted the door red."

How do I tell an object complement from a direct object?

The direct object receives the action of the verb, while the object complement adds extra detail about that object. In "The judge declared her winner," "her" receives the action and "winner" tells you what she was declared to be.

Is an object complement the same as a subject complement?

No. A subject complement follows a linking verb and describes or renames the subject. An object complement follows a transitive verb and describes or renames the direct object.

What are some examples of object complements?

Common examples include sentences like "They named the dog Max," "We found the room empty," and "The coach kept the players focused." In each one, the final word or phrase gives extra information about the direct object.