Complements in English Grammar

Complements in English Grammar In grammar, a complement is a word or word group that completes the predicate in a sentence. In contrast to modifiers, which are optional, complements are required to complete the meaning of a sentence or a part of a sentence. Below youll find discussions of two common types of complements: subject complements (which follow the verb be and other linking verbs) and object complements (which follow a direct object). But as David Crystal has observed, the domain of complementation remains an unclear area in linguistic analysis, and there are several unresolved issues (Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 2011). Subject complements My uniform is torn and dirty.My uniform is a T-shirt and jeans.Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.(Jules de Gaultier)Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke.(Lynda Barry) Object complements Jimmys teacher called him a troublemaker.The teachers remark made me angry.The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too.(Mark Twain,  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1885) Subject Complements Subject complements rename or describe the subjects of sentences. In other words, they complement the subjects.Many of these complements are nouns, pronouns, or other nominals that rename or provide additional information about the subject of the sentence. They always follow linking verbs. A less contemporary term for a noun, pronoun, or other nominal used as a subject complement is predicate nominative. He is the boss.Nancy is the winner.This is she.My friends are they. In the first example, the subject complement boss explains the subject he. It tells what he is. In the second example, the subject complement winner explains the subject Nancy. It tells what Nancy is. In the third example, the subject complement she renames the subject this. It tells who this is. In the final example, the subject complement they identifies the subject friends. It tells who the friends are.Other subject complements are adjectives that modify the subjects of sentences. They also follow linking verbs. A less contemporary term for an adjective used as a subject complement is predicate adjective. My coworkers are friendly.This story is exciting. In the first example, the subject complement friendly modifies the subject coworkers. In the second example, the subject complement exciting modifies the subject story.(Michael Strumpf and Auriel Douglas, The Grammar Bible. Henry Holt, 2004) Object Complements An object complement always follows the direct object and either renames or describes the direct object. Consider this sentence: She named the baby Bruce. The verb is named. To find the subject, ask, Who or what named? The answer is she, so she is the subject. Now ask, Whom or what did she name? She named the baby, so baby is the direct object. Any word following the direct object that renames or describes the direct object is an object complement. She named the baby Bruce, so Bruce is the object complement.(Barbara Goldstein, Jack Waugh, and Karen Linsky, Grammar to Go: How It Works and How to Use It, 4th ed. Wadsworth, 2013)The object complement characterizes the object in the same way as the subject complement characterizes the subject: it identifies, describes, or locates the object (as in We chose Bill as group leader, We consider him a fool, She laid the baby in the crib), expressing either its current state or resulting state (as in They found him in the kitchen vs. She made him angry). It is not possible to delete the object complement without either radically changing the meaning of the sentence (e.g. She called him an idiot - She called him) or making the sentence ungrammatical (e.g. He locked his keys in his office - *He locked his keys). Note that be or some other copula verb can often be inserted between the direct object and the object complement (e.g. I consider him to be a fool, We chose Bill to be group leader, They found him to be in the kitchen).(Laurel J. Brinton and Donna M. Brinton, The Linguistic Structure of Modern English. John Benjamins, 2010) Multiple Meanings of Complement Complement is one of the most confusing terms in scientific grammar. Even in one grammar, that of Quirk et al. (1985), we can find it being used in two ways: a) as one of the five so-called clause elements (1985: 728), (alongside subject, verb, object and adverbial):(20) My glass is empty. (subject complement)(21) We find them very pleasant. (object complement)b) as a part of a prepositional phrase, the part that follows the preposition (1985: 657):(22) on the table In other grammars, this second meaning is extended to other phrases. . . . It therefore appears to have very broad reference, to anything that is needed to complete the meaning of some other linguistic unit. . .   These two basic meanings of complement are neatly discussed in Swan [see below].(Roger Berry, Terminology in English Language Teaching: Nature and Use. Peter Lang, 2010)  The word complement is also used in a wider sense. We often need to add something to a verb, noun, or adjective to complete its meaning. If somebody says I want, we expect to hear what he or she wants; the words the need obviously dont make sense alone; after hearing Im interested, we may need to be told what the speaker is interested in. Words and expressions which complete the meaning of a verb, noun, or adjective are also called complements.Many verbs can be followed by noun complements or -ing forms with no preposition (direct objects). But nouns and adjectives normally need prepositions to join them to noun or -ing form complements.(Michael Swan, Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press, 1995) I want a drink, and then I want to go home.Does she understand the need for secrecy?Im interested in learning to fly. EtymologyFrom the Latin, to fill out Pronunciation: KOM-pli-ment

14 Life Hacks Youve Never Heard of That Can Be Used Every Day

14 Life Hacks Youve Never Heard of That Can Be Used Every Day Life hacks can be incredibly useful in helping us in our daily lives. Here are 14 life hacks you’ve never heard of but can apply to your everyday life. Source: [SlipTalk]

5 Questions Integrated Marketing Communications Essay

5 Questions Integrated Marketing Communications - Essay Example Also, a non-human character is more likely to attract attention of the watcher in the first place! The identification of a human with an animal is a common literary theme and the relationships with animals are used to symbolize key passages in a child’s life like integration into the society upon saving an animal from a bad situation (Lerner, Kalof, 1999). The animal double also portrays a character’s abuse of animals as the result of abuse he or she has experienced. Animals are also symbolized as loved one, as savior, as threat, as a tool, as victim, as sex object, and as an object of wonder. Animal characters may make serious products like insurance less drab and at the same time add humor and lightheartedness to otherwise common product (Inglessis, McGavock & Korzenny, 2007). Use of non-human character may not be appropriate for every category but it positions the product and differentiates it from competitors. 2. Innovation is essential to convert the dream to into a marketable product. Innovation directs the leader to set challenging targets (Zien & Buckler, 1997). If marketing personnel are involved, the innovation will respond to either user needs or to competition (Moenaert & Souder, 1990). Innovative products have been found to be successful if marketing personnel are involved than those developed by the research and development department or the top management. Marketing communications theory which suggests that it is not enough to listen to the customer, it is essential to understand the customer (Olorunniwo, Hsu & Udo). If the product uses some new technology demand is definite to be created (Ettlie & Subramaniam, 2004). Every step has to be integrated and creating a demand would require a stepwise process involving information acquisition activities and evaluation points. Once the user needs have been identified it would be easier to create demand. The company should also be prepared to face environments that

How do sociological perspectives contribute to an understanding and Essay

How do sociological perspectives contribute to an understanding and explanation of media images of ageing and older age - Essay Example In the said analysis, this writer will elucidate upon as to why and how the type of media portrayal is what it is at present. The mass media has become an integral part of the postmodern society. Everyone, regardless of age, has some form of interaction with mass media in his life. Spring (1993) gives an estimate of how much of their leisure time elderly people (above-50) spend listening to the radio, watching television, listening to music, reading and going to the movies. His research reveals that as much as forty percent of their leisure is time dedicated to these activities. Knowing this, it is easy to see why creating a more accurate picture, if not a more compassionate and humanistic one, of the elderly’s situation in the realm of mass media, is very important. Curbing negativities in media’s portrayal of the elderly, many as they are as will be seen in the following paragraphs, should be given high priority. This is so because, it is undeniable that the mass media impacts interpersonal interaction1, affects our mental and physical health2, and, as most relevant to the proceeding discussion, the mass media greatly influence perceptions of aging and elderly people3. The images of the elderly as shown by the media vary depending on the (1) underlying purposes for which these images are created and, quite surprisingly, by the (2) type of communication medium in question. Broadly speaking, there are two types of media portrayal of the ageing population, first is the positive kind of portrayal, while the second paints a more negative picture of the group. Applying the concepts of sociology, the cause of this negative portrayal can be attributed to the phenomenon of ageism4 which will be given more attention later in this paper. For now, a more detailed presentation of the two types of portrayal is called for. Underlying purposes No great amount of intellect needs to be

Orientalist Musings and their Applicability to Three Kings :: Essays Papers

Orientalist Musings and their Applicability to Three Kings The concept of Orientalism is one in which Edward Said, a renowned intellectual with a solid background in the field of Arab study, is particularly knowledgeable. If the concepts surrounding Orientalism are broken down into specific elemental degrees, then Said portrays the American conception of Arabic entities and their inhabitants with a plethora of stereotypes that generate a false depiction of the Arabic culture. This, of course, is only an extremely small portion of the grandiose Orientalist dilemma that is currently quite prevalent in modern day society. Yet, for this paper’s ultimate purpose, this sector will be the sole focus. As Said intimates, the lens that the Americans utilize in order to acquire information about Arabs is one that reflects perceptions falsely. This lens is skewed in order to protect and support certain interests, whether they be American or western based. Movies, particularly when generated through the Hollywood action- based gen re, have an false generalization of the way in which an Arabic people are. In some respects, the Hollywood produced movie, Three Kings, is a pertinent acknowledgment of the former. In many portions of the film, the enumerated antics may cause for a feeling of disdain toward the Arab nation. Yet, compared to the majority of the typical Hollywood action-based films, Three Kings manages to break away from these abhorrent stereotypes and provide a more than average acknowledgment of the sheer complexity of the Arab people as individual, separate from Saddam Hussein. Therefore, Said’s primary proposed conception of Orientalism is challenged and the Arab is depicted as a person trying to fight Hussein. In correlation with Said’s Orientalist argument, American film portrays the Arab as the enemy, but in Three Kings this concept is challenged. Typically, by the end of an American film, there are a significantly greater number of Arab bodies than that of the superpower, in this case the United States of America. To a greater extent, Three Kings plays around with this typical film-like mentality. In the film, when the men are stranded and are looking for some way to escape from the village and rescue their man Troy, George Clooney states, â€Å"we are not supposed to be involved with this, we killed Iraqi soldiers, violated the peace accord, and a plane will not come for us.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold and the Stranger Essay

Conflict Resulting From the Negative Effects of Rigid Societal Expectations in A Chronicle of A Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Stranger by Albert Camus Everyone has felt the pressure of societal expectations during their lifetime. The negative effects society brings on one’s life can lead to a feeling of rejection towards the people who do not conform to meet those standards. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, author of Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and Albert Camus, author of The Stranger, both construct the external moral conflict of society versus the protagonist in order to critique the way society fails to accept the moral values of the people who differ from the norm. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez emphasizes the central conflict of society versus the protagonist, based on beliefs and values, through the controversy leading up to the murder of Santiago Nasar, which is based on family honor and pre-marital sex. When Pedro and Pablo Vicario ask their sister, Angela Vicario, who had stolen her virginity, her response is described as â€Å"She only took the time necessary to say the name †¦ and she nailed it to the wall with her well-aimed dart, like a butterfly with no will whose sentence has already been written. ‘Santiago Nasar,’ she said†(47). Describing Angela’s response as â€Å"only took the time necessary† indicates that she is trying to put the blame on Santiago, making him a scapegoat, in order to protect the true man who took her virginity before marriage. In the Latin American society, where the setting of the novella takes place, it is not acceptable for a woman to have pre-marital sex due to the beliefs and morals of Catholics. Santiago is represented as the butterfly â€Å"whose sentence had already been written†. Even though there is no evidence Santiago took Angela’s virginity, it is the twin’s duty to protect their sister. Therefore, Pedro and Pablo Vicario set out to kill the man who had stolen their sister’s virginity, Santiago Nasar, in order to protect their family. The twins tell everyone in town about their plan to murder Santiago, but the people in the community doubt their intentions: â€Å"twenty-two people declared they had heard everything said, and they all coincided in the impression that the only reason the brothers had said it was so that someone would come over to hear them†(51). The people in the town who â€Å"[coincide] in the impression that the only reason the brothers had said it was so that someone would come over to hear them† shows how oblivious the townspeople act owards a societal member’s life. Society looks past at the fact that a murder is about to occur, but focuses on the purpose; family honor, which is highly respected. Since it is unacceptable for a female to have sex before marriage, Santiago is viewed in a negative light by society because he is accused of taking the virginity of an unmarried woman. The debate surrounding Santiago’s death highlights the conflict between society and the protagonist, where Santiago is a man who is accused of committing an act that society does not accept. Albert Camus, in The Stranger, constructs the protagonist, Monsieur Meursault, as a man who has absurdist morals and values, which society does not accept. Meursault has an intimate relationship with Marie Cardona, a former typist, but the connection does not go beyond a physical attraction; â€Å"she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way I had the last time, that it didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her† (41). By Meursault stating â€Å"it didn’t mean anything† and â€Å"I probably didn’t love her† highlights his absurdist views on life; he believes life contains no purpose, thus he cannot love Marie because loving Marie would give life a purpose, which Meursault does not believe. He simply associates with Marie, because he likes being around her. There is no need for an emotional connection because the physical appearance of her is satisfying enough. Absurdism is not accepted in society therefore it does not accept Meursault. He is an outsider in a world he did not choose. Meursault is a man who does not show his emotions very well, but instead focuses on his physical need; â€Å"I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings† (65). Meursault saying â€Å"that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings† emphasizes the simplistic life he live—a life without meaning. Showing emotions would signify a life with purpose, which Meursault does not believe. The Algerian society, in which the novella takes place, does not accept the type of lifestyle Meursault lives and believes every life should be lived with a purpose. Society’s expectations clash with Meursault’s values because his beliefs and outlooks on life are not accepted by society, which sets up the external conflict between the two. In the external conflict between society and the protagonist, Garcia Marquez emphasizes the negative effects society has on a person who goes against the social norm by showing the biased opinions towards the Pedro and Pablo Vicario regarding Santiago’s murder. After brutally stabbing Santiago to death, the Vicario twins sprint to the church to inform the priest of their barbaric act; â€Å"Both were exhausted from the barbarous work of death, and their clothes and arms were soaked and their faces smeared with sweat and still living blood but the priest recalled the surrender as an act of great dignity†(49). The priest calling the murder â€Å"an act of great dignity† shows how, in the Latin American society, family honor is highly valued, no matter how far it is taken. Even though the twins have committed the worst crime imaginable, it is acceptable because it was done in order to protect their family. Pedro and Pablo Vicario are viewed as meeting expectations, as opposed to Santiago, who fails to follow them. When the crime was brought to court, the twins had already won before it even started; â€Å"The lawyer stood by the thesis of the homicide in legitimate defense of honor, which was upheld by the court in good faith, and the twins declared at the end of the trial that they would have done it again a thousand times over for the same reason† (48). The lawyer stating the homicide as a â€Å"legitimate defense of honor† verifies that society values family honor over a man’s life. The court case represents the conflict of society against Santiago and since he goes against society’s values, Santiago ends up dying, indicating society’s victory. The twins do not receive any severe punishment, because of their intentions to protect their family. Through Santiago’s death, Garcia Marquez stresses the harmful effects society can have on someone whose beliefs differ from societal standards. Camus constructs Meursault’s trial to critique society’s lack of acceptance towards the people who do not meet expectations. Throughout the court case, Meursault is quickly judged by the prosecutor due to his actions concerning his mother’s death, â€Å"He said the truth was that I didn’t have a soul and that nothing human, not one of my moral principles that governs men’s hearts, was within my reach† (101). The prosecutor bluntly stating that Meursault â€Å"didn’t have a soul† and is incapable of having â€Å"moral principles that governs men’s hearts† highlights how society does not understand Meursault’s morals and values, thus critiques his character and neglects him. Meursault is looked down upon because of how he acted on the day of Maman’s funeral. He does not express feelings towards his mother’s death because he is an absurdist and believes death is inevitable. Society believes that there is purpose to every societal member’s life, and since Meursault shares absurdist views, he is not accepted by society. To close his final argument against Meursault, the prosecutor states, â€Å" ‘I ask you for this man’s head†¦never as strongly as today have I felt this painful duty made easier, light, clearer by the certain knowledge of a sacred imperative and by the horror I feel when I look into a man’s face and all I see is a monster. † (102). The whole trial is based around Meursault’s character, and him being called â€Å"a monster† stresses the fact that society is unwilling to accept anyone who does not follow the expectations. Meursault does not share the same views that society wants, and as a result, he is rejected because of his moral values. By asking â€Å"for this m an’s head† the prosecutor shows how society neglects the people who share different views and therefore want them out of society completely. Camus uses the trial and Meursault’s crime to emphasize the external conflict of society versus the protagonist, Meursault, to demonstrate how society does not accept people who share different moral values. The negative effects society has on the people who do not meet expectations are emphasized through the external conflict, based of moral values, between the protagonist and society in the Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Stranger by Albert Camus. Both novellas show the harmful consequence faced by the protagonist, who do not conform to societal expectations, which evidently resulted in death.

The Themes Of Love And Violence In George Orwells 1984

â€Å"Love, friendship, and respect do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something.† (Anton Chekhov). As depressing as it sounds, many of life’s societies are founded solely on hatred, eventually corrupting the people so that their only â€Å"hope† or â€Å"relief† is found in the government’s control. George Orwell, English novelist (b.1903-d.1950) utilized the concepts of love and hatred within his dystopian novel, 1984, which is a totalitarian society under a government by the name of the Party, ruled by Big Brother, the â€Å"deity† of Oceania. However, both emotions aren’t as they are in real life, for they are forced upon the people of Oceania through government promoting propaganda; thus, love and hatred are purely influenced by the Party†¦show more content†¦Not only is the Two Minute Hate is a way to get rid of any built up anger, but it serves to keep the population’s frustration of their repress ed lives since the Party is providing a â€Å"face† for the people to direct their detestation to. In current society, this daily release of pent-up anger could actually be seen as beneficial, since one would not feel that negative emotion until the following day; nevertheless, it demonstrates how manipulative the government can be if allowed the direct control over personal emotions. Regrettably, this â€Å"public hatred† has been already used by the U.S, with the government focused on publicizing hatred towards Osama Bin Laden after the incident in 9/11; the public was so occupied with their despise of Laden, that they paid no heed to the U.S’ bombing of Afghanistan, which was killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Across the novel, it is clear that one of the Party’s main motives is to replace all sentiments of family love with only loyal love to Big Brother. In reality, the only form of â€Å"love† that exists in 1984 is based on fear of being punished, tortured, orShow MoreRelatedBetrayal Like Its 1984 Essay929 Words   |  4 Pagesseveral examples of this throughout the novel. Some of these examples are when Charrington betrays Winston and Julia, when Parsons is betrayed by his children, when Winston and Julia betray one another, and when Winston finally betrays himself. 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