## [Objects and complements](/hypergrammar-2/objects-and-complements) ## Avertissement Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement. ## Objects A [verb](what-is-a-verb#whatisverb) may be followed by an object that completes the meaning of the verb. Two kinds of objects follow verbs: direct objects and indirect objects. To determine if a verb has a direct object, isolate the verb and make it into a question by placing *whom?* or *what?* after it. The answer—if there is one—is the direct object, as in the following examples: Direct object The advertising executive drove *a flashy red Porsche*. Direct object Her staff gave her *a bouquet of flowers*.The second [sentence](subject-and-predicate#sentence) above also contains an indirect object (*her*). An indirect object (which, like a direct object, is always a [noun](what-is-a-noun#noun) or [pronoun](what-is-a-pronoun#whatispronoun)) is, in a sense, the recipient of the direct object. To determine if a verb has an indirect object, isolate the verb and ask *to whom?*, *to what?*, *for whom?* or *for what?* after it. The answer is the indirect object. Not all verbs are followed by objects, as in the following sentences: - The guest speaker *rose* from her chair to protest. - After work, Randy usually *jogs* around the canal. ## Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Verbs that take objects are known as transitive verbs. Verbs not followed by objects are called intransitive verbs. Some verbs can be either transitive or intransitive, depending on the context, as in the following examples: Transitive I hope the Senators win *the next game*. The verb *win* has a direct object (*the next game*) and is therefore a transitive verb. Intransitive Did we win? The verb *win* has no direct object and is therefore an intransitive verb.## Subject Complements In addition to [transitive verbs](objects-and-complements#tranintrvb) and [intransitive verbs](objects-and-complements#intransitiveverb), there are [linking verbs](linking-verbs#link). The word or [phrase](building-phrases#bldphr) which follows a linking verb is called a subject complement (not an object). The most common linking verb is *be*. Other linking verbs are *become*, *seem*, *appear*, *feel*, *grow*, *look*, *smell*, *taste* and *sound*, among others. Note that some of these can be linking verbs, transitive verbs or intransitive verbs, depending on how you use them, as in the following examples: Linking verb with subject complement He *was* a radiologist before he *became* a full-time yoga instructor. Linking verb with subject complement Your homemade chili *smells* delicious. Transitive verb with direct object I can’t *smell* anything with this terrible cold. Intransitive verb with no object The interior of the new Buick *smells* strongly of fish.Note that a subject complement can be either a noun (*radiologist*, *instructor*) or an [adjective](what-is-an-adjective#adjective) (*delicious*). ## Object Complements An object complement is similar to a subject complement, except that it modifies an object rather than a [subject](subject-and-predicate#subject). In this example of a subject complement, - The driver seems *tired*. the adjective *tired* modifies the noun *driver*, which is the subject of the sentence. Sometimes, however, the noun will be an object, as in the following example: - I consider the driver *tired*. In this case, the noun *driver* is the direct object of the verb *consider*, but the adjective *tired* is still acting as its complement. In general, verbs that have to do with perception, judgment or change can cause their direct objects to take an object complement, as in the following sentences: - Paint it *black*. - The judge ruled her *out of order*. - I saw the Prime Minister *campaigning*. In each of the above examples, you could reconstruct the last part of the sentence into a sentence of its own using a subject complement: *it is black*, *she is out of order*, *the Prime Minister is campaigning*. ## Avis de droit d’auteur pour l’outil HyperGrammar 2 © Département d’anglais, Faculté des arts, Université d’Ottawa Un outil mis en ligne par le Bureau de la traduction, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada ## Rechercher par thèmes connexes Vous voulez en apprendre davantage sur un thème abordé dans cette page? Cliquez sur un lien ci-dessous pour voir toutes les pages du Portail linguistique du Canada portant sur le thème choisi. Les résultats de recherche s’afficheront dans le [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator). - [Grammar and syntax](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results) - [Nouns](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B0%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A482#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results) - [Pronouns](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B0%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A486#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results) - [Sentence structure](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B0%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A487#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results) ## Liens connexes - [HyperGrammar 2](/fr/hypergrammar-2/index-fra) (page d’accueil) - [Outils d’aide à la rédaction](/fr/outils-tools/index-fra) - [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator) (permet de trouver rapidement des conseils linguistiques) - [TERMIUM Plus®](http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-fra.html?lang=fra) - [Communiquer avec le Portail linguistique du Canada](/fr/apropos-about-fra#a8)