11. Adjective and Adverb complement, Object of a Preposition, Post-nominal Modifier

Adjective complement, adverb complement, object of a preposition, and post-nominal modifier were briefly mentioned before but not explained in detail. However, you do need to understand these concepts to be able to complete Major Assignment 1 and Midterm Exam.

Complements

A complement is a word or group of words necessary to complete the meaning of a sentence. Without a complement, the sentence is incomplete or lacks the necessary information.

  • Complements differ from modifiers, which are optional and add extra information.

Adjective complement (AdjCompl)

  • An adjective complement is a clause or phrase that follows an adjective and provides information to complete its meaning.
  • Examples:
    • “She is afraid to speak in public.” (To speak in public is an adjective complement that completes the meaning of afraid.)
    • “They are eager for the meeting to start.” (For the meeting to start complements the adjective eager.)
  • Types of Adjective Complements:
    • Infinitive Phrases:
      • E.g., “He is happy to help.”
    • Prepositional Phrases:
      • E.g., “We were delighted with the results.”
    • That-clauses:
      • E.g., “I am certain that she will arrive on time.”

Adverb complement (AdvCompl)

  • Similar to how adjective complements work, an adverb complement is a clause or phrase that follows an adverb and provides information to complete its meaning.
  • For example:
    • Unfortunately for us, there was no First Class. (For us is an adverb complement that completes the meaning of unfortunately.)

Object of a Preposition (ObjP)

  • The object of a preposition (ObjP) is the noun phrase that follows a preposition and completes the prepositional phrase.

  • Examples:

    • “She placed the book on the table.” (the table is the object of the preposition on.)
    • “We talked about the project.” (the project is the object of the preposition about.)

Post-Nominal Modifier (PNM)

  • A post-nominal modifier (PNM) is a phrase that comes after a noun to provide more information about it. PNMs often include prepositional phrases, relative clauses, and appositive noun phrases.

  • Examples (Types of PNMs):

    • Prepositional Phrase: “The book on the table is mine.” (On the table is a PNM that modifies book.)
    • Relative Clause: “The student who studied hard passed the exam.” (Who studied hard is a PNM modifying student.)
    • Appositive Noun Phrase: “My brother, a talented musician, is performing tonight.” (A talented musician is a PNM that provides additional information about my brother.)