Verbs of Incomplete Predication

Read the following sentences:-

1. The boy sleeps.

2. The baby seems happy.

The verbs in both these sentences are Intransitive.

But when I say ‘The baby sleeps ‘I do make complete sense.

One the other hand if I say “The baby seems ‘I don’t make complete sense.

The Intransitive verb seems requires a word (e.g., happy) to make the sense complete.

Such a word is called a Verb of Incomplete Predication.

The word happy, which is required to make the sense complete, is called the complement of the verb or the completion of the predicate.

# Verbs of Incomplete Predication usually express the idea of 

being,becoming,seeming,appearing.The complement usually consists of a noun(called a Predicative Noun) or an Adjective(called a Predicative Adjective).When the complement describes the subject, as in the following sentences, it is called a Subjective Complement.

1. Tabby is a cat.

2. The earth is round.

3. John became a soldier.

4. Mr. Mehta became mayor.

5. The man seems tired.

6. You look happy.

7. The sky grew dark.

8. Roses smell sweet.

9. Sugar tastes sweet.

10. She appears pleased.

11. This house is to let.

Note:-When the Subjective Complement is a Noun (as in1, 3, 4) it is in the same case as the Subject, i.e., in the nominative case.

# Certain Transitive Verbs require, besides an object, a complement to complete their predication; as,

1. The boys made Rama captain.

2. His parents named him Hari.

3. This made him vain.

4. The jury found him guilty.

5. Rama called his cousin a lair.

6. Exercise has made his muscles strong.

7. I consider the man trustworthy.

8. God called the light day.

9. We thought him rascal.
10. They chose him their leader.

Here, in each case, the Complement describes the Object, and is, therefore, called an Objective Complement.

Note:-When the Objective Complement is a Noun (as in 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10) it is in the Objective (or Accusative) case in agreement with the object.

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