Complement
A word or phrase that completes the meaning of a verb or predicate. Complements can be nouns ('I am a teacher'), adjectives ('He seems happy'), or clauses.
Real World
In the opening of Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go', the narrator says 'I became a carer' — where 'a carer' is the complement completing the linking verb, defining her entire identity in a single noun phrase.
Exam Focus
When analysing complements, explain how the chosen complement shapes characterisation or evaluation — don't just label the grammar.
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