A complement is a phrase or clause that is added to another constituent to complete latter’s meaning. In grammar, we broadly have four complements: noun complement, adjective complement, verb complement, and preposition complement. The first three are sometimes obligatory for their constituent to make sense – and sometimes not. Hence, they’re more confusing than preposition complement, which is always obligatory.
This post covers one of the four complements, noun complement.
What is noun complement?
Consider these sentences:
The store offers a range to choose from.
She has a great deal in teaching.
Do they look incomplete in some way? The store offers a range of what? She has a great deal of what in teaching? Now consider these:
The store offers a range of washing machines to choose from.
She has a great deal of experience in teaching.
In the above sentences, prepositional phrases of washing machines and of experience are complements to nouns range and great deal, respectively. They complete the meaning of their respective nouns and hence are their complements.
A complement of noun is a phrase or clause that follows its noun and completes its meaning.
In the above two examples, the complement is required: Without them the sentences would be incomplete. That’s one extreme. Some nouns though may need complement to a lesser degree. Consider these sentences:
His devotion is admirable.
Fear often holds people back from taking risks.
The two seem fine – but incomplete. With complements, they look more complete:
His devotion to his family is admirable.
Fear of failure often holds people back from taking risks.
To expand the earlier definition, a complement of noun is a phrase or clause that follows its noun and completes its meaning. Need for complementation maybe strong in some nouns (range, great deal) and less strong in some (devotion, fear). In other words, noun complements work on a sliding scale (or spectrum), rather than as zero or 100 percent.
Complement of noun vs. modifier of noun
Complements and modifiers occupy post-noun position and can even take the same form. Consider these:
That book on history is a best seller.
That book on the table is a best seller.
Which of the two – on history and on the table – is a modifier and which a complement?
What’s the central quality of a book? Its content, its theme, its author, and so on. But being on the table or in the bookstore is not. Central quality complements a noun; peripheral modifies. In the above examples, on history is clearly more central to book than on the table, implying the former is a complement. Complements are an integral part of the noun: Without them a sentence may be meaningless. Modifiers are relatively loosely connected to the noun: Without them a sentence may lose important information, but not be meaningless.
You can test the centrality by putting both the prepositional phrases in the same sentence in different orders:
That book on the table on history is a best seller.
That book on history on the table is a best seller.
Which sounds better?
Second.
That’s because it has a more integral, a more central thing closer to book and more peripheral thing away from book.
As a side note, That book is a best seller doesn’t seem to lack anything. This reinforces the earlier point that complementation works on a sliding scale. A complement is less required here than in She has a great deal in teaching, the example we saw earlier.
So far, we’ve looked at prepositional phrases as complements of noun, but other phrases and clauses too can complement a noun.
What all can be complement of nouns?
Prepositional phrases, infinitive phrases, and noun clauses (that-clauses, specifically) can complement nouns. Let’s take few examples of each. For each sentence, see how absence of complement depletes meaning. That, in nutshell, tells what noun complements are.
(Nouns are in blue font and complements have been underlined.)
Prepositional phrase as complement of noun
Prepositional phrases are the most common complements of noun. Among prepositional phrases, the one starting with of is the most common. It has mandatory (100 percent on the sliding scale) use in some nouns of quantity.
1. We have plenty of time. [The underlined prepositional phrase complements noun plenty]
2. The shelf contains a lot of books.
3. He has a bunch of ideas for the project.
4. There is a ton of work to be done before the deadline.
5. The company launched a slew of new products this year.
6. The team faced a host of problems in the project.
7. We have a plethora of options on what to watch on Netflix.
Prepositional phrases introduced by of though aren’t limited to complementation of quantity nouns.
8. She accepted the risk of starting her own business.
9. He specializes in a type of therapy that uses music.
10. The box contained an assortment of chocolates.
11. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes from different cuisines.
Other prepositional phrases too can be complements of noun.
12. The search for the missing dog continued for days.
13. The key to success lies in hard work and perseverance.
14. Her interest in history led her to pursue a career in archaeology.
15. The excitement over the new movie was palpable among the audience.
Infinitive phrase as complement of noun
1. She found the will to forgive and move on. [The underlined infinitive phrase complements noun will]
2. She made an attempt to break the record.
3. Her ability to solve complex problems is impressive.
4. He seized the chance to speak at the conference.
5. She enjoyed the freedom to explore the city on her own.
6. There is a need to address the issue immediately.
7. She felt an obligation to help her family.
8. He had the opportunity to work with a renowned scientist.
9. She devised a plan to improve customer satisfaction.
10. Her desire to travel the world remains strong.
11. The decision to hire a new treasurer was finally made.
12. His ambition to become an actor drives him.
That-clause as complement of noun
Some grammar books use the term complement clause in place of noun clause. (They’re one and the same.) In those books, noun-complement clause (or clause that complements noun) is nothing but this.
1. The hope that weather would improve kept them going. [The underlined that-clause complements noun hope]
2. His belief that he would succeed never wavered.
3. The rumor that layoffs were imminent spread quickly through the office.
4. The suggestion that we take a vacation was welcomed by everyone.
5. The fact that she arrived late surprised everyone.
