Introductory Hints.+—In saying Washington captured, we do not fully express the act performed by Washington. If we add a noun and say, Washington captured Cornwallis, we complete the predicate by naming that which receives the act.
Whatever fills out, or completes, is a +Complement+. As Cornwallis completes the expression of the act by naming the thing acted upon—the object—we call it the +Object Complement+. Connected objects completing the same verb form a +Compound Object Complement+; as, Washington captured Cornwallis and his army.
+DEFINITION.—The Object Complement of a Sentence completes the predicate, and names that which receives the act.+
The complement with all its modifiers is called the +Modified Complement.+
+Analysis.+
1. Clear thinking makes clear writing.
thinking | makes | writing
============|=====================
\ clear | \clear
+Oral Analysis+.—-Writing is the object complement; clear writing is the modified complement, and makes clear writing is the entire predicate.
2. Austerlitz killed Pitt. 3. The invention of gunpowder destroyed feudalism. 4. Liars should have good memories. 5. We find the first surnames in the tenth century. 6. God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. 7. Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning-rod. 8. At the opening of the thirteenth century, Oxford took and held rank with the greatest schools of Europe.
took
/————-\
Oxford | / ' \ | rank
========|=and' ==========
| \ ' /
\ ' held /
\———-/