What is a subject complement?

A subject complement is a word or phrase that renames or describes the subject of a sentence. It's essentially providing more information about the subject, telling us *what* the subject is or *what* it's like.

Here's a breakdown:

Types of Subject Complements:

* Predicate Nominative: A noun or pronoun that renames the subject.

* Example: "My dog is a golden retriever." (Golden retriever renames the subject, "dog")

* Predicate Adjective: An adjective that describes the subject.

* Example: "The music is loud." (Loud describes the subject, "music")

Key Points:

* Subject complements are always found after a linking verb. Common linking verbs include: *be*, *become*, *seem*, *appear*, *feel*, *taste*, *smell*, *sound*.

* The subject complement directly follows the linking verb.

* The subject complement cannot be the object of the verb.

Examples:

1. "The cake is delicious." (Delicious is a predicate adjective describing the subject, "cake")

2. "He is a doctor." (Doctor is a predicate nominative renaming the subject, "He")

3. "My favorite color is blue." (Blue is a predicate adjective describing the subject, "color")

4. "She became a lawyer." (Lawyer is a predicate nominative renaming the subject, "She")

Identifying Subject Complements:

To identify a subject complement, ask yourself:

* What is the subject of the sentence?

* What word or phrase follows the linking verb?

* Does that word or phrase rename or describe the subject?

If the answer to the last question is "yes", you've found your subject complement!