1. The Object Complement Patterns
Ed McCorduck
English 402--Grammar
SUNY Cortland

2. slide 2: review of subject complements
As discussed in the “Verb Patterns and the Be Patterns” lecture and in the “Linking Verbs” lecture, a subject complement (subj comp) refers to the same entity as or attributes a property to the subject of a sentence. For example, in the sentences Beelzebub is evil and Beelzebub is a demon, both the adjective evil in the first sentence and the noun phrase a demon in the second refer to their respective subjects, i.e., in both cases Beelzebub. The sentences are likewise diagramed in similar ways with the headwords of these subject complements on the main line as the verb and separated from it by a slanted line:
English 402: Grammar

3. slide 3: Reed-Kellogg diagraming of subject complements reviewed
English 402: Grammar

4. slide 4: definition of object complements
Similarly, direct objects can also be followed by slots whose occupants co-refer to the same entity as the object. Words and phrases that can fill these slots are called object complements (obj comp).
English 402: Grammar

5. (subj) (pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp)
slide 5: Pattern IX
Pattern IX
NP1 V-tr NP ADJ
(subj) (pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp)
in this pattern, the ADJ refers to the same entity as the NP2
English 402: Grammar

6. slide 6: examples of Pattern IX sentences
exx
I | consider | that | ridiculous. (cf. That is ridiculous)
NP V-tr NP2 ADJ
She | likes | her men | hot. (cf. Her men are hot)
NP V-tr NP ADJ
Catnip | drives | my little kitties | absolutely nuts.
NP V-tr NP2 ADJ
English 402: Grammar

7. (subj) (pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp)
slide 7: Pattern X
Pattern X
NP1 V-tr NP NP2
(subj) (pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp)
in this pattern, the second NP2 functions as object complement, i.e., it has the same referent as the direct object
English 402: Grammar

8. slide 8: examples of Pattern X sentences
exx
I | consider | him | a nutjob. (cf. He is a nutjob)
NP V-tr NP2 NP2
They | called | it | the greatest thing since sliced bread.
NP1 V-tr NP NP2
The club | has named | Ebeneezer | (the) treasurer.
NP V-tr NP2 NP2
English 402: Grammar

9. slide 9: verbs that can appear in Pattern IX and/or Pattern X sentences
Other verbs that can occur in Pattern IX and X sentences (sometimes in only one of the patterns or the other) are find, elect, leave, make and prefer.
English 402: Grammar

10. slide 10: Reed-Kellogg diagrams of sentences with object complements
In Reed-Kellogg diagrams, object complements are indicated like subject complements, i.e., their headwords occur on the main line preceded by a slant line, but because these complements modify not the subject but the direct object they always immediately follow the direct object (as they do in surface structure). As an illustration, here is the diagram of the sentence I consider that ridiculous where the adjective ridiculous is an object complement:
English 402: Grammar

11. slide 11: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern IX sentence
English 402: Grammar

12. slide 12: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern X sentence
And here is the diagram of the sentence I consider him a nutjob where the noun phrase a nutjob is an object complement:
English 402: Grammar