What is a subject complement?

Definition
	A subject complement is a complement that is used to predicate a description of the subject of a clause.

Examples (English)
	Ambrose was bishop. Ambrose was holy.

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of subject complements:
	What is a predicate adjective? What is a predicate noun?

Generic
	A subject complement is a kind of
	What is a complement?

Sources
	Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 55, 737, 742
	Crystal 1985:60
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 182
	Mish 1991 926

Context for this page:

Concept module: subject complement
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): S
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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