Master Object Complements in English with Practical Tips

Grammar can often seem tricky, but object complements are simpler than they sound. They help explain or modify the object of a sentence, adding clarity and meaning. In this blog, we will explore what object complements are, their types, usage rules, and examples to make learning English more effective

At PlanetSpark, students practice grammar concepts such as object complements with interactive exercises, quizzes, and live lessons. This makes learning practical and fun while reinforcing the ability to use these concepts in speaking and writing confidently.

Types of Object Complement

Noun as Object Complement

A noun complement renames or identifies the object. It provides clarity and specifies what the object is considered. Noun complements are particularly useful in academic writing, formal communication, and everyday conversations.

Examples:

• They named their cat Simba.

• The committee elected her president.

• We consider him a genius in literature.

Noun complements provide essential information about roles, titles, or identities. They ensure that sentences communicate a complete thought and make writing precise and professional.

Adjective as Object Complement

An adjective complement describes the state, quality, or condition of the object. This makes sentences more expressive and meaningful, allowing the writer or speaker to convey emotions, opinions, or observations.

Examples:

• She painted the room yellow.

• The exercise made me tired.

• We found the movie inspiring.

Adjective complements are commonly used in storytelling, informal writing, and spoken English to describe feelings, appearances, and experiences.

Phrase as Object Complement

A phrase complement provides additional information and often combines nouns and adjectives to give complete context.

Examples:

• They considered him the best candidate for the scholarship.

• The teacher called the project an excellent demonstration of creativity.

• The committee elected her the most capable team leader.

Phrase complements allow for complex ideas to be communicated in a single sentence. PlanetSpark provides exercises that help learners identify phrases acting as complements and use them effectively in real-life communication.

Common Verbs That Use Object Complements

Certain verbs naturally take object complements. Recognizing these verbs is crucial because it allows learners to form sentences that are grammatically correct, precise, and meaningful. Not every verb can take an object complement. Using the wrong verb can lead to sentences that sound awkward or incomplete.

Examples of common verbs with explanations:

• Make: This verb is often used to show that an action produces a certain result or state in the object.

  • Example: She made him happy.

  • Here, the object “him” receives the state “happy” because of the action. This usage is common in daily conversation to describe emotions, reactions, or changes caused by an action.

• Call: This verb is used to rename or identify an object.

  • Example: They call him the best singer.

  • The object complement “the best singer” renames “him,” making it clear who he is considered to be.

• Consider: Often used to express judgment, opinion, or evaluation.

  • Example: I consider her very talented.

  • The object complement “very talented” describes the speaker’s view of the object. This verb is useful in formal writing, reviews, and essays.

• Elect: Used to assign a formal role or position to an object.

  • Example: The team elected him captain.

  • The complement “captain” clarifies the role assigned to the object and completes the sentence.

• Find: Shows the perception or reaction of the subject toward the object.

  • Example: We found the story exciting.

  • The object complement “exciting” expresses how the story is perceived. This is useful for sharing opinions or feedback.

Other verbs that commonly take object complements include appoint, declare, view, and name. Understanding these verbs is important because object complements are only meaningful when paired with the correct verbs.

Additional examples for clarity:

• The board appointed him head of marketing.

• The teacher declared the student the winner of the contest.

• We view her work as highly creative.

At PlanetSpark, learners practice forming sentences with these verbs in context. Exercises include identifying the object, selecting the correct complement, and writing sentences that convey clear meaning. Through guided lessons, students gain confidence in using object complements in both formal and informal communication.

Why Object Complements Are Important

Object complements are essential because they enhance sentence clarity, precision, and expression. Without them, sentences often feel incomplete or vague. An object complement shows the result, state, or perception of the object, making the sentence fully understandable.

Benefits of object complements:

• Prevents ambiguity: Object complements remove confusion by specifying exactly how the object is affected or considered.

  • Example: “They elected him” is vague. Adding a complement clarifies: “They elected him team captain.”

• Combines multiple ideas: Instead of splitting information across several sentences, object complements allow you to combine actions and results into a single, coherent sentence.

  • Example: Without complement: “The movie was interesting. It made her happy.”

  • With complement: “The movie made her extremely happy.”

• Strengthens writing: Both formal and informal writing become clearer and more engaging when object complements are used. They enhance professionalism and readability in essays, reports, and emails.

Examples to illustrate importance:

• Without complement: They elected him.

• With complement: They elected him team captain.

• Without complement: The movie made her.

• With complement: The movie made her extremely happy.

Using object complements also reduces repetitive explanations. Instead of writing multiple sentences to describe a result, one sentence with an object complement communicates the same idea efficiently.

How to Identify Object Complements

Identifying object complements is a skill that requires attention, practice, and understanding of sentence structure. Object complements are words or phrases that follow the object and provide additional information about it, describing its state, role, or identity. Mastering this skill allows learners to create clear, meaningful, and grammatically correct sentences.

The process can be broken down into simple, manageable steps that make identification straightforward.

Step 1: Identify the Object of the Sentence

The first step is to locate the object in the sentence. The object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. Without identifying the object, it is impossible to determine if a complement is being used.

Examples:

• Sentence: The judge declared the man innocent.

  • Object: the man

  • Here, “the man” receives the action of the verb “declared,” making him the object.

• Sentence: The team elected her captain.

  • Object: her

  • “Her” is the object because she is the one being elected by the team.

Identifying the object correctly is the foundation for spotting the complement. At PlanetSpark, students practice this through exercises that highlight the object in a sentence before focusing on the complement.

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Step 2: Ask the Right Question

Once the object is identified, ask:

• “What is the object now?”

• “How is the object considered?”

The answer to this question typically reveals the object complement. Object complements describe the result, condition, role, or perception of the object after the action.

Examples:

• Sentence: The movie made the audience thrilled.

  • Object: audience

  • Question: What is the audience now?

  • Complement: thrilled

• Sentence: The teacher called her an excellent student.

  • Object: her

  • Question: How is she considered?

  • Complement: an excellent student

This step ensures learners understand the relationship between the verb, object, and complement. PlanetSpark emphasizes this step through interactive quizzes and examples where students practice asking these questions.

Step 3: Identify the Complement

After asking the right questions, the next step is to spot the complement itself. Object complements can be:

• Nouns (rename the object)

  • Example: The board appointed him head of marketing.

• Adjectives (describe the object)

  • Example: She made him happy.

• Phrases (provide detailed descriptions)

  • Example: They considered him the most suitable candidate for the role.

Recognizing the type of complement helps learners construct sentences more accurately and use complements effectively in writing and speaking.

Object Complement vs Subject Complement

Many learners confuse object complements with subject complements, so it is important to understand the difference:

• Subject complement: Follows a linking verb (is, are, was) and describes or identifies the subject of the sentence.

  • Example: She is happy.

    • “Happy” describes the subject “she.”

• Object complement: Follows the object and describes or renames the object.

  • Example: We found her happy.

    • “Happy” describes the object “her.”

Tips to Use Object Complements Correctly

Using object complements correctly is essential for writing clear, precise, and meaningful sentences. Learners need both awareness and practice to master this skill. Here are practical tips:

Check the verb: Only certain verbs like make, call, consider, elect, find, appoint, and declare can take object complements. Using a verb that does not support a complement can make the sentence grammatically incorrect.

• Do: She made him happy.

• Don’t: She loved him happy.

Choose clear nouns or adjectives: The complement should clearly describe or rename the object. Avoid vague or unclear words that confuse the reader.

• Do: They found him brilliant.

• Don’t: They found him a.

Avoid unnecessary words: Extra words can make a sentence confusing. Keep complements concise and precise.

• Do: The teacher called her an excellent student.

• Don’t: The teacher called her a student who is excellent.

Use real-life examples: Practicing object complements in everyday scenarios, school contexts, or workplace situations makes learning more relevant and practical.

• Do: The manager appointed him team leader.

• Don’t: The manager appointed him someone who can lead the team.

Start simple: Begin with basic sentences using a single noun or adjective complement, then gradually move to phrases or detailed complements. This helps learners build confidence with increasing complexity.

Practice regularly: Repeated practice helps learners internalize the concept. PlanetSpark offers interactive exercises and guided lessons, helping students identify objects, form complements, and use them naturally in writing and speaking. Over time, learners can communicate more clearly, confidently, and professionally.

PlanetSpark’s English Grammar Course: A Shortcut to Mastery

At PlanetSpark, grammar is not taught as boring rules. Instead, we make it:

Interactive Grammar Learning – No Rote Learning

Grammar is taught through stories, dialogues, role plays, and error correction, making learning engaging and meaningful instead of relying on memorization.

Gamified Learning Tools

Students master grammar using fun quizzes, word puzzles, and interactive exercises, making practice enjoyable and motivating.

Integrated Writing Practice

Each grammar topic is followed by sentence-building and writing tasks, allowing students to apply concepts in real-life contexts and strengthen practical usage.

Grammar Proficiency Levels

Students progress from foundational topics like nouns, verbs, and punctuation to advanced concepts such as conditionals, passive voice, and reported speech, with clear milestones to track growth.

Parent Reports on Grammar Skillsets

Detailed reports monitor improvement in key areas:

• Writing fluency

• Sentence structure and complexity

• Grammatical accuracy

• Logical flow and content organization

• Critical thinking and creativity

• Confidence, voice modulation, and delivery

• Body language and syntax

Learning grammar can be daunting for many students, but PlanetSpark takes a unique approach to make it fun, practical, and confidence-building. Here’s how:

Whether your child is in Grade 5, Grade 8, or preparing for Class 12 exams, our courses are tailored to their level.

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Conclusion

Mastering object complements is a crucial step in improving English grammar, writing, and communication skills. Object complements help make sentences clear, precise, and meaningful by providing additional information about the object. They describe the object’s state, identity, or perception, allowing the writer or speaker to convey thoughts effectively in both formal and informal contexts.

Understanding which verbs naturally take object complements, such as make, call, consider, elect, find, appoint, and declare, is essential for constructing grammatically correct sentences. Using the correct verbs, along with nouns, adjectives, or phrases as complements, ensures that your sentences are both complete and expressive. Without object complements, sentences often feel vague or incomplete, leaving readers or listeners guessing the intended meaning.

Practical application is key to mastering this grammar concept. Learners should practice identifying objects and complements, create sentences using clear nouns and adjectives, and gradually include complex phrases. Starting with simple sentences and building up ensures confidence and accuracy. Regular practice and repetition help internalize the concept, allowing learners to use object complements naturally in writing, storytelling, academic assignments, and professional communication.