Join In
Twitter
YouTube
Weekly Newsletter
Libraries
A-Z Grammatical Terms
A-Z Confused Words
FAQs by Writers
A-Z Awkward Plurals
Punctuation Lessons
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Grammar Videos
(ordered by category) Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Grammar Videos
(ordered by category) Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
Subject Complement (with Examples)
Subject Complement
A subject complement is a word or phrase that follows a linking verb and identifies or describes the subject.(Note: A linking verb is a verb used to link a subject to a new identity or description. Common examples are "to be," "to become," "to appear," "to feel," "to look," "to smell," and "to taste.")
Table of Contents
- Easy Examples of Subject Complements
- Types of Subject Complement
- Why Subject Complements Are Important
- Printable Test

Easy Examples of Subject Complements
In the examples below, the linking verbs are in bold and the subject complements are shaded:- Ben is a policeman. (The linking verb is "is" (i.e., the verb "to be"). The subject complement identifies the subject "Ben." It is a noun.)
- He will be fine. (The linking verb is "will be" (i.e., the verb "to be"). The subject complement describes the subject "He." It is an adjective.)
- I am he. (The linking verb is "am" (i.e., the verb "to be"). The subject complement identifies the subject "I." It is a pronoun.)
- That pie looks burnt to a cinder. (The linking verb is "looks." The subject complement describes the subject "That pie." It is an adjective. Don't forget adjectives (just like nouns) also come in the form of phrases.)
More Examples of Subject Complements
Here are some more examples of subject complements:- Ella was a ghost. She appeared at 12 and looked stunning.
- Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work . (Thomas A Edison, 1847-1931) (Remember that adjectives and nouns can come in the forms of adjective phrases and noun phrases too.)
- If you put butter and salt on popcorn, it tastes like salty butter. (Terry Pratchett)
- As for me, except for an occasional heart attack, I feel as young as I ever did. (Robert Benchley, 1889-1945)
Types of Subject Complement
Subject complements that are headed by nouns or pronouns are called predicate nominatives. For example:- I am a ghost. (In this example, "ghost" is a noun. It heads the noun phrase "a ghost." Therefore, "a ghost" is a predicate nominative.)
- I am extremely happy. (In this example, "happy" is an adjective. It heads the adjective phrase "extremely happy." Therefore, "extremely happy" is a predicate adjective.)
Here are two issues related to subject complements.
(Issue 1) Don't use an adverb as a subject complement.
A subject complement is an adjective, noun, or pronoun. It's never an adverb.- This soup tastes badly.
- This soup tastes bad.
- Your hair smells wonderfully.
- Your hair smells wonderful.
(Issue 2) You can say "It is I" or "It is me."
Those who insist on writing "It is I" or "It was he" have tradition on their side because subject complements were traditionally written in the subjective case (e.g., "I," "she," and "he") not in the objective case (e.g, "me," "her" and "him"). However, those who'd rather write "It is me" or "It was him" have common usage on their side.So, if you think "It was I" doesn't sound pretentious, use that construction. If you think it does, don't. Everyone's a winner.
- Use an adjective not an adverb after a linking verb.
- She looks amazingly.
- She looks amazing.
- Write "It was I" if you like. If you can't bear how that sounds, write "It was me."
Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Find Us Quicker!
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.