English Sentence Examples of Subject-Verb-Object-Complement Structure
A sentence’s structure is a fundamental component of grammar. One of the most common sentence structures in English is the Subject-Verb-Object-Complement structure. In this structure, the subject of the sentence performs an action on the object, which in turn receives the action and is described by the complement. Here are some examples of this structure:
1. She considers him a great friend.
In this sentence, the subject is “she”, the verb is “considers”, the object is “him” and the complement is “a great friend”. The verb “considers” describes what the subject is doing to the object, and the complement describes the object.
2. He made her happy.
“He” is the subject, “made” is the verb, “her” is the object, and “happy” is the complement. The verb “made” describes the action that the subject performed on the object, and the complement “happy” describes the object.
3. I find the topic very interesting.
“I” is the subject, “find” is the verb, “the topic” is the object, and “very interesting” is the complement. The verb “find” describes what the subject is doing to the object, and the complement describes the object.
4. They elected her president.
“They” is the subject, “elected” is the verb, “her” is the object, and “president” is the complement. The verb “elected” describes what the subject is doing to the object, and the complement “president” describes the object.
5. The teacher considers the project a success.
“The teacher” is the subject, “considers” is the verb, “the project” is the object, and “a success” is the complement. The verb “considers” describes what the subject is doing to the object, and the complement “a success” describes the object.
The Subject-Verb-Object-Complement structure allows speakers and writers to convey complex ideas with a clear and concise structure. By pairing the subject and object through a clear verb, and then adding a complement to describe the object’s state, the structure helps the reader or listener to understand the action and its effects.
Moreover, it is essential to note that this structure is flexible, and speakers and writers can expand or contract it with modifying clauses and phrases. It is common in written English to add adverbial clauses or adjectival phrases to a sentence to give it clarity and specificity. For instance, one example could be, “After studying for hours, she considers him a great friend.” The adverbial clause here clarifies the timing of the action and emphasizes the effort the subject put into the action.
In conclusion, the Subject-Verb-Object-Complement structure is one of the most common sentence structures in English. It offers a concise way of communicating actions and effects and is flexible enough to enable speakers and writers to expand it with modifying clauses and phrases to give more clarity and specificity.